For my leadership finals I was supposed to bring in a successful
person for an interview in class. I invited our very own Mayor
Dennis Kennedy.
For my leadership finals I was supposed to bring in a successful person for an interview in class. I invited our very own Mayor Dennis Kennedy. Inspite of his busy schedule and a jet lag from his three-week trip to Ireland and Italy, Mayor Kennedy was at my school on June 3, 7:30am sharp. I want to thank you, Mayor Kennedy, for spending time and sharing your stories with our class.
Based on the guidelines given by my teacher, Ms. Carroll, I started my interview. As Mayor Kennedy’s biography is available on the internet, I knew some information on mayor beforehand: that he was born in Omaha, Nebraska; got his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Santa Clara University; worked for IBM for 25 years.
He won several consecutive terms as the Mayor of Morgan Hill. My interview lasted for about half an hour and here are some of the excerpts and my comments.
My first question was when did he make his career choice? The Mayor answered that in 1960s (still in High School), the launching of the first satellite by Soviet Union caught the United States by surprise. Aerospace technology was getting all the focus and attention. As Santa Clara University did not offer this particular field, he opted for one close to it, mechanical engineering.
He stayed in this career path for a long time. On the other hand, his strong desire to see certain things get done in this community and need for people willing to go into politics, steered him to become the Mayor. He also mentions the club ‘Toast Masters ” and his public speaking skills playing a key role.
Asked about the person who influenced him the most, Mayor Kennedy answered that President John F. Kennedy was his biggest inspiration. He remembers his election when he was in college and his assassination while he was in Germany as an Army RPOC. He was also influenced by Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy and all those who stood up for their beliefs and made sacrifices for the cause. Later on in the interview he adds that “most of our choices are based on and influenced by the events that happen around us”.
About grades, Kennedy said he was never an ‘A’ student. Doing part-time job to support his education was very hard and he was just concentrating on getting a degree.
To become successful Kennedy says “first of all you need to get a college degree as this would open up more doors. Then take the opportunities presented, decide what you enjoy doing and believe in yourself. Ninety-five percent of the time you will be successful.” On salary, Kennedy says that as a project manager at IBM, he was paid well. As a the mayor, he only receives $800 a month, equal to about five-dollars an hour as compared to Mrs. Kennedy’s, who as a registered nurse earns about 45 dollars an hour. He also said that even though the job of Mayor is full time, it is considered part time.
When asked if there is anything more that he wants to accomplish as the mayor, he answered that he feels he has achieved a lot with all the projects he had undertaken, and seen them to completion (buildings like Community Center, Aquatic Center, etc). He is happy to leave a ‘proud legacy’ for his successors. That is exactly how I feel too.
This is the end of the very first year at Sobrato High School. We feel we accomplished a great deal and hope to continue to succeed in everything in future. I also want to thank Mr. Walt Glines and the Morgan Hill Times for giving me a wonderful opportunity to write about my school.
Abhilasha S. Devaraj is student body president at Sobrato High. The column will appear on an occasional basis. She can be reached at ed******@*************es.com
