Molly Katchpole just graduated from the Roger Williams University in Rhode Island this spring, and is working two part-time jobs in Washington DC to make ends meet.

So when she heard that Bank of America was going to levy a monthly $5 debit card use fee on her, and all of their other customers that don't have a mortgage and/or $20,000 in the bank, she got angry. And that anger lead to her starting a petition on change.org.

And then that petition got her over 300,000 signatures in only a few weeks. Her letter is below if you'd like to read it.

Katchpole didn't stop there. When her petition started gaining traction (about 195,000 signatures) only a week or so after it was posted, she went to her local Bank of America with her petition in hand and closed her account. She also cut up her debit card on camera and moved her money to a credit union.

Here she is on CNN talking about her experience on Erin Burnett's show:

As you probably know, Bank of America now says that it will "redefine" their fee structure so that most customers don't have to pay. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have said that they will not levy fees of their own, as they had previously announced they were considering.

It's up to you whether or not you believe Katchpole's petition had anything to do with it, but we think that, combined with all the media attention it got, it likely factored in to these decisions.

And why wouldn't it? The comments left on the petition were left by Bank of America customers from all walks of life — from young people like Katchpole, to older people who have had their bank accounts for decades.

"I consider it a victory," Katchpole told us this weekend. "It's the middle class of America that's keeping this country running. If they can't spend money, or feel like they have a voice, then things are going to go wrong."

She says that her activism isn't an official part of Occupy Wall Street, or any other organization. It's just for anyone upset about bank bailouts and big Wall Street bonuses.

"I hope people are hearing this and put away the 'I only vote this way or that way' mentality they might have," said Katchpole. "A lot of...politicians don't really care about you."

The question now is what Katchpole will do next — maybe she'll ask her fellow petitioners to call the banks, maybe she'll just have them send letters. Bottom line: She has a cause, and 300,000 e-mails from people who want to support that cause. And that is significant political power.

Perhaps she can exercise some of that power on Bank Transfer Day, this Saturday November 5th. Needless to say, she isn't afraid to use it. "We can make demands, and they can be met," she told us confidently.

As promised above, here's her letter to BofA , which got over 300,000 signatures.

No Debit Card Fees

Greetings,

I'm writing to express my deep concern over Bank of America's decision to charge customers $5 a month to use their debit cards when making purchases.



The American people bailed out Bank of America during a financial crisis the banks helped create. You paid zero dollars in federal income tax last year. And now your bank is profiting, raking in $2 billion in profits last quarter alone. How can you justify squeezing another $60 a year from your debit card customers? This is despicable.



American consumers can't afford these additional fees. We reject any claims by BofA that this latest fee is somehow necessary.



Please, do the right thing. Reverse your decision to charge customers $5 each month for using their debit cards to make purchases.

[Your name]

To find you more about how you can support Katchpole's campaign, click here.