The world would be a friendlier place if everyone wore name tags
Economic development is a dynamic and powerful force that gives disadvantaged communities access to improved social welfare. It has the capacity to improve the population by creating new jobs and restoring public spaces. Urban cities bolster economic activity and are robust central hubs for technology and transportation infrastructure, often becoming catalysts for expansion of successful initiatives.
The positive changes of my lifetime came from invaluable opportunities living in San Francisco. I held various interdepartmental positions in city advisory boards and pilot programs that kick-started my professional career. These events fostered an interest in social empowerment and entrepreneurship which I believe would translate the same for other young professionals if given the same opportunity.
For three years, I was a citywide representative on the San Francisco Youth Commission, where I advocated for underserved youth in my district. When the city decided on a 200% increase in public transportation fares in 2010, I took a stance by highlighting how such a change would bar low-income students from accessing school and extracurricular activities. As the Vice Chair, I spearheaded the campaign by conducting a survey where the overwhelming responses indicated lower bus fares was a student priority.
I spent the next five months organizing students and lobbying at city hall. Together, we drafted the final resolution urging the Board of Supervisors to implement a discounted youth fare program. One year later, my efforts led to free public transportation for 40,000 low-income youth and a $13 million transportation fund. Knowing that my activism helped bridge the gap between the voice of the youth and government, I learned firsthand the power of a unified community.
As a recipient of many government programs, the most personal life-changing event was when our family won the lottery for affordable housing. A stable environment provided me the support to pursue my education and career. It prompted me to learn more about the city’s solution to our housing crisis. I took a short-term role working with the Mayor’s Office to provide affordable housing for low-income families. I helped streamline the qualification process and reduced the time from review to move-in from six-months to two-months. We successfully moved in 92 units as part of San Francisco’s largest low-income inclusionary housing project in 2014.
San Francisco provided me an opportunity to run a small business. Urban cities are natural hubs of resource and knowledge, often containing the most educated workforce. San Francisco, as a leading urban city, was a magnet to innovation and growth. However, it was difficult to start a business as someone from a disadvantaged background. In a largely tech-enabled city, I want to use existing tools and resources to connect sister cities and provide an avenue for knowledge sharing of ideas and solutions that encourage entrepreneurship.
With much work still to be done, it is crucial to design more sustainable solutions. I want to continue work on innovative initiatives such as a universal fare card or building capacity where most transportation systems have maintained their local flavor and variety. For housing, the cost of living still exceeds what most people can afford. I want to work on housing initiatives to create affordable housing in cities with more demand than supply.
We need to focus on multi-pronged approaches to provide local leaders with more resources to meet the needs of their respective cities. There should be more mediums to attract, retain, and expand small businesses in urban cities. Within San Francisco, we have higher worker productivity, more ingenuity, and more opportunity for venture capital investment than most major cities. This economic prosperity can directly impact the social wellbeing of the general public. My long-term goals are to create more job opportunities and better implement policies that provide greater access to resources.
I am seeking opportunities that would prepare me for a meaningful career, enable me to guide others, and put my passion into practicum. The opportunity will provide a space for experimental and exploratory learning where I can work on existing initiatives that advance the city’s economic development. These initiatives will create more empirical research to help solve our city’s most pressing pain points. I believe a unified community can make a difference, even against insurmountable odds. The community and its people have a moral imperative to make sure everyone has access to fundamental resources as a right and not a privilege.