When I was in elementary school, the teacher passed out these personal folders to all the students on the first day of class. I only remember this so vividly because of the two photos that appeared each year. The first was Mayor John DeStefano; the other was Dr. Reginald Mayo, New Haven’s Superintendent of Schools. So, Mayor DeStefano became one of the first politicians engrained in my memory. But he didn’t do that by simply placing his image around New Haven, he did it with real goals and practical methods of achieving them. With years of success in New Haven, the city’s growth has been naturally connected to our fighting Mayor. In doing so, growing up in a reviving city not only engrained Mayor Destefano as one who embodies success in my mind, but also one who aspires us to all be better.

In 1992, I immigrated to this country as a wide-eyed 7-year old kid, amazed yet terrified by the daunting task of American assimilation. I remember family friends telling me which places not to go in New Haven. Downtown was dangerous, never wander anywhere alone, and never walk down Prospect Street at night even though it’s through the heart of Yale. New Haven during the pre-DeStefano era was in bad shape, so bad that at one point the city couldn’t pay the electricity bill for its street lights.

In November of that year, I watched Bill Clinton win the country over with his Democratic appeal. The next year, John DeStefano was elected Mayor of New Haven. I didn’t really understand what was happening, and as a kid trying to digest everything American, politics gave me headaches. What I didn’t realize was that these two Democrats were about to lead my newfound country and community into an era of unprecedented success. Growing up, I was privileged to live in a country and a city that valued fiscal responsibility, higher expectations and progressive ideals that brought prosperity to all Americans.

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For those in my generation who have grown up under Mayor DeStefano’s leadership, his name has become synonymous with New Haven’s tremendous growth. He has been at the forefront of all that is positive for the city. The Mayor’s leadership in New Haven’s biotech boom, economic revitalization, alternative energy and education reform has all contributed to the city’s new mantra of expecting more from our politicians and more importantly, from ourselves. These are the reasons why I am here at the DeStefano campaign. Being able to help a leader who’s guided New Haven to reach for the stars rather than settling for mediocrity is truly a privilege, and I hope that this momentum will carry Mayor DeStefano to victory in 2006.