Meet the New Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Harbor City
Harbor K.I.D.S. elect a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Harbor City, and experience democracy in action.
Every year, the citizens of Harbor City elect a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor to lead them in governing a “town” of their very own making. Along the way, they learn valuable life lessons about the importance of civic duty, what it means to participate in the democratic process, and practicing the art of responsible leadership.
Both of the candidates for Mayor demonstrated the qualities that Boys & Girls Harbor strives to instill in every child: a sense of duty to their communities, respect for self and others, and the responsibility that comes with true leadership.
In her campaign speech, Kaylee Clemente, age 9, spoke about the importance of being dependable and always present for all Harbor City constituents, and about the power of aiming high. She reminded her fellow citizens, “Harbor K.I.D.S. stands for ‘Kids Who Imagine, Dream, and Succeed.’ I am one of those kids.”
Joaquin Estrella, age 9, spoke of the leadership qualities he values. “A leader should be able to delegate responsibility and notice the strengths of others, to be a great collaborator, and be able to listen to other people’s opinions before making any decisions. These qualities are not easy to achieve, but through hard work and with your trust, I believe I can be the type of Mayor we can all be proud of.”
As the citizens of Harbor City took enthusiastically to the polls, Ms. Angela Rose, the Harbor City Coordinator and Group Leader in the Harbor K.I.D.S. program, reminded them, “We have two great candidates. One will end up being the Mayor, and one will be the Deputy Mayor. However this turns out, we are going to get the best of both worlds.”
The vote was very close. Throughout the election process, it was clear that both candidates had earned the support and respect of their community.
In the end, it was Kaylee who was declared Mayor. She thanked her constituents and reiterated her promise to serve them well.
Joaquin immediately accepted his new role as Deputy Mayor with grace and a level of maturity that seemed far beyond his years.
Harbor City residents did, indeed, elect two great leaders to represent them in the year ahead.