If she were mayor, Callie Walker would create “teams of volunteers and friends” to improve Rockville.
Callie, a fourth grader in Martha O’Hanlon’s class at St. Mary’s School in Rockville, will get to see what it’s like to be mayor when she serves as the city’s honorary “Mayor for a Day” on Thursday, May 23.
She earned the honor for writing a winning essay in the “If I Were Mayor” essay contest sponsored by the Maryland Municipal League and the Maryland Mayors Association. Callie’s essay, one of 11 winning essays selected statewide to represent each MML district, was selected best of District 5, which comprises Montgomery and Howard counties.
On her day as mayor, Callie will tour City Hall, the Rockville City Police Department and Croydon Creek Nature Center. She will also attend the Department of Public Works’ Equipment Show at Mattie J. T. Stepanek Park and have lunch with Mayor Monique Ashton.
The essay contest, with the theme of “Inspiring Leadership in Your City/Town/Community,” asked students what they would do to inspire leadership in their city, town or community, and to describe a project they would undertake to make others want to help make their city, town or community better.
Callie wrote that she would create teams of volunteers to meet with community members “to discuss green space and the problems of the city.” Teams would pick up trash, create activities and spaces for neighborhood parks, create gardens and help community members plan a new project.
“I would like to do a project to help homeless or displaced people,” she wrote. “This could be a model that cities and towns could use.” She would also keep people safe by changing speed limits by schools, neighborhoods and churches, she wrote.
In addition to her day as mayor, Callie was recognized at the Mayor and Council meeting on Monday, May 20. Find video of the meeting at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter. Callie also will take part in the city’s longest-running special event on Monday, May 27 when she rides in the 80th Annual Memorial Day Parade.
For more information about the essay contest, visit MML’s website at mdmunicipal.org.