Agent of Change: Why I Support Kevin Johnson for Mayor

In an effort to cover the mayoral runoff election on November 4, Inside the City invited Mayor Heather Fargo and challenger Kevin Johnson to submit testimonials by their supporters, which will run each month until the election.

By Frances Harris

As a 19-year-old college freshman at UCLA, I have a pretty full life: studying, taking exams and enjoying campus life. But this year, I've volunteered much of my time to help someone I believe in become the next mayor of Sacramento.

Why does a college student who will be voting in her first election this November believe so passionately that Kevin Johnson will make a great mayor for all of Sacramento? The answer is simple: Kevin Johnson cares deeply about young people like me and about our future. He's devoted his life to making sure that the kids in the neighborhood where we grew up have the best education and the most opportunities available so we can beat the odds and succeed in whatever career we choose.

Most people know him from what they read in the newspaper or watch on television. I've seen him in a different light. For four years, I saw Kevin Johnson's true character when I was a student at the school he runs, Sacramento High.

My high school used to be one of the worst in the city. Kevin thought it was unacceptable that his alma mater was turning out so many students who were unprepared for the future, with some turning to lives of drugs, crime, violence and hopelessness.

Rather than sit back and complain about it, he took action. Kevin founded St. Hope Academy, a nonprofit organization that now runs Sac High as a charter school that is getting results.

During my four years at Sac High, I saw Kevin Johnson roll up his sleeves every day and work tirelessly with students and the community to turn our failing school into a positive learning environment that helped prepare us in math, science and language arts so we could take on the world once we graduated.

Consider this: When I was a freshman at Sacramento High, only 20 percent of seniors went on to a four-year college. Four years later, when I graduated in 2007, 80 percent of my class, including me, went on to a four-year college.

Kevin's leadership and vision inspired me and every student at Sacramento High to work hard and push ourselves to the limit. Watching someone who grew up in the same neighborhood we did become so successful was an inspiration to my classmates and me. His passion for learning and his genuine interest in our success motivated us to achieve.

I know that Kevin will take that same energy, passion and dedication that I saw at Sac High and work hard to make a difference for all of Sacramento as our mayor. He will inspire others to care about their communities again and make us proud to call Sacramento home.

He has said time and time again that the future of Sacramento depends upon ensuring every child in our city gets an excellent education. Right now, that's not the case. Much like the situation before he arrived at Sac High, most schools aren't making the grade.

Kevin believes that we must all do our part and invest in improving our schools. After all, improving the schools is critical to addressing the other serious challenges facing our city, like our economy and the safety of our neighborhoods.

He wants to work with businesses, city officials, parents, teachers and school administrators to develop innovative school programs to get kids excited about learning and about their future. He also wants to make sure students are prepared for college so more will join me in attending a four-year college. Above all, he wants to make sure every graduate has the skill set needed to succeed in any career they choose in the high-tech economy of the future.

As he did at Sac High, he will work hard to give students opportunities before they go down the wrong path. He wants to create partnerships to expand the number of preschools, boost art and music education and increase after-school programs to give kids somewhere positive to channel their energy and avoid getting into trouble.

As a volunteer on his campaign this summer, I have been inspired to see kids as young as 9 or 10 run up to me at events and ask for our campaign bumper stickers. That shows that he is providing hope not only to the kids like me that he taught at Sac High, but every child in Sacramento.

They say that most people my age don't care about politics and don't even bother to vote. How refreshing to see a leader like Kevin inspire the youth in our community, even those who can't vote for another eight or nine years, to get involved and want to make a difference.

I am excited about changing the direction of our nation and our city this November. During my time volunteering on the campaign, I have seen people both young and old who are tired of the way things have been going and are hungry for a mayor who will lead Sacramento in a new direction and give them hope.

Kevin Johnson is the candidate of change. When I graduate from college, I want to be able to come home to a city where there are plenty of job opportunities for a recent college graduate, where our streets and neighborhoods are safe and free of gang violence, our housing is affordable and our schools are the best around. I believe Kevin Johnson is the man to make that vision a reality.

I've seen firsthand what he can do at Sac High, and I'm excited to see what he can do for the entire city. When I cast a ballot for the first time this November, I will be proudly voting for Kevin Johnson for mayor, and I hope you will, too.