News Release

Mayor for a Day Winners Announced

Essay contest provided an opportunity for youth to learn about civic matters

Mountain View, Calif. — The City of Mountain View is pleased to announce the winners of the Mayor for a Day essay contest. They are:

Mayor Ellen Kamei selected the two winning Mayor for a Day entries, with one elementary and one middle school-aged recipient. She will recognize Hannah Kirschner as the Elementary School Mayor for a Day at the Tuesday, Oct. 28 City Council meeting. In her essay, Kirschner stated, “If I were mayor for a day, I would try to make it fun, free, kind, and non-judgmental.” She also wrote about wanting to give everybody a chance to express themselves without any harsh comments or judgment and for parents to get a day off at work in which they can “either talk together or have high-quality, social time together with friends or family.”

Also at the meeting, Mayor Kamei will recognize Ishan Kaushal as the Middle School Mayor for a Day. In his essay, Kaushal wrote about how many of us are glued to our screens, whether it’s for school, work, or scrolling endlessly through apps, and how constant screen time harms both our mental and physical health. He noted, “If I were mayor of Mountain View for a day, I’d rename our city from ‘Mountain View’ to ‘Mountain Go’ for the day, to remind everyone not just to view our wonderful surroundings, but to go explore, go move, and go connect.”

“I am impressed by the inspiring responses given by Mountain View’s youth about a problem they would solve if they were mayor for a day,” said Mayor Kamei. “Through the essay contest, I wanted to encourage young people to learn about local government and how it directly impacts the health and vitality of our community.”

The contest was open to elementary- and middle school-aged Mountain View residents who wrote up to a 500-word essay about one problem they would solve if they were mayor for a day.

For more information about the Mayor for a Day contest, visit MountainView.gov/MayorforaDay.

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About the City of Mountain View

Located between the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Francisco Bay, Mountain View is a diverse community with an estimated population of 86,513. Mountain View covers just over 12 square miles, featuring over 1,000 acres of park and wildlife areas including the 750-acre wildlife and recreation area called Shoreline at Mountain View. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Mountain View is home to a vibrant downtown and headquarters to many nationally and internationally known corporations including Google, Intuit and NASA’s Ames Research Center. For more information, visit MountainView.gov.

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