“I’m here today to talk to you about you and your future, because what happened last night is about you.”
Those were the words of Jackie Speier, former member of the House of Representatives, when referencing the elections that occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 4, a remarkable set of wins for Democrats across the country. During flex on Wednesday, Nov. 5, Speier spoke to the senior class about her experiences balancing her political career with motherhood, investigating the Peoples Temple cult at Jonestown, and working to pass legislation in Congress.
Throughout her speech, Speier emphasized the importance of young people getting involved in politics. Speier said that, as someone with a close connection to the Burlingame community, facilitating youth engagement is a key aspect of her work.
“I would do this 24/7 if I could,” Speier said. “I think one of my roles now is to hopefully inspire young people to be part of the process, because they have everything.”
She also talked about her experience with having an abortion due to miscarriage and what it was like to speak to Congress about it. During a debate in 2011, Speier was the first sitting member of the House to discuss her experience with abortion.
“It’s a fundamental right to be in control of your own body. I was the first person to ever speak about abortion on the House floor,” Speier said. “And then afterwards, a number of members came up to me, said, ‘You know, I had one too.’ And then over the course of the next 10 years, more women members came forward and said, ‘Yes, I had an abortion.’”
For senior Mele Moengangongo, hearing about Speier’s success as a woman in politics was inspiring.
“It was very empowering to hear all this from a woman, especially because I, myself am a woman, and to hear that her experiences that she’s had has uplifted her,” Moengangongo said.
Moengangongo also said Speier’s speech exposed her to unique information.
“I feel like it takes us out of our bubble as kids. Because we’re in high school, we’re very much in this small community, where we’re not really aware of what happens outside of the school unless we’re actively trying to look for that information,” Moengangongo said. “I think it’s good that she came and talked to us, because she taught us more of the realistic experiences that all adults have, especially since she works in politics.”
Senior Aine O’Toole said Speier’s visit was a chance to learn about the government firsthand from a politician, something she and other seniors would not otherwise experience on a typical school day.
“It’s impactful because typically we only learn about the laws, the people and all that stuff,” O’Toole said. “But it’s actually really good to actually get to talk to someone who’s actually [a former] congresswoman.”
As an organizer of the event, government teacher Matthew McDermott said guest speakers like Speier are crucial to help young adults make informed political decisions.
“It’s important to see a face and to understand that the government is run by people, and different people with different perspectives and different experiences, and so that as our students begin to come of age and become voting members of our population,” McDermott said.
Now, as a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Speier represents the local community and tackles poverty, housing and childcare accessibility in San Mateo.
“She’s a key figure in the history of Burlingame. She served us in the legislature for sixteen years. She still serves us in the county board,” McDermott said. “She’s definitely a hero to our community.”
