By: Suri Mowji, Grade 10
Libby Schaaf, the Mayor of Oakland, joined Object for our last workshop of 2021. Mayor Schaaf spoke about her experiences in politics, including how she got into the field. Her six years as Mayor have offered her a platform to tackle key issues including combating gun violence, dealing with the national government, expanding education programs and helping small businesses.
During the workshop, Mayor Schaaf encouraged girls to define a quality of themselves that they admired. Girls named a variety of qualities from confidence to courage. Mayor Schaaf then motivated girls to uplift someone else by reaffirming their statement. The activity was based around building others up, as well as being confident in oneself. For Mayor Schaaf, being part of encouraging communities played a key role in giving her the confidence to run for Mayor and face the challenges of her job.
Here are 3 takeaways from Mayor Schaaf’s talk:
“There is a strong distinction between having authority and earning leadership!”
“Don’t let other people’s negativity get to you.”
“When it comes to self-doubt there is a big difference between inquiry and incapacitation.”