001My name is Sayyad Kasim and [music] I am the newly elected school board member representing zone 5 here in Beverton School District. I was born and raised in Pakistan. Uh I moved to this country just at uh after I turned 18. Uh I've been in Portland or specifically Beaverton for over 15 years now. This is where all three of our kids [music] were born and are uh like I mentioned earlier going to school, getting their education and the kind of life that we have built. Um, yeah. Uh, in the United States, I've lived prior in the city of Los Angeles before moving to Portland. So, I was in LA for [music] about 10 years and I've been here for over 15 years. I think the reason I wanted to be a part of this role
002and [music] organization is something personal that drives me, which is to serve. I think it's [music] my personal mission to try and find ways to have a positive impact in any and all things that I do [music] whether it's a as a leader in the community an active participant or member of the community as a parent [music] as a partner all of those >> is the expectation there that after like that's sort of the cut off and >> from my own experience as an immigrant having been in this country for over 25 years now [music] I've come to appreciate the the the impact that public educ education having an educated engaged electorate or constituency has on on [music] the you know the the democratic values that we we embody we espouse [music] and we demonstrate.
003So for me public education serves as that tool [music] that has that again that broad impact that reach in kind of cultivating and really sustaining again a lot of the values that I highlighted especially our democratic values here. So uh the reason I show up to [music] to to the school board is to serve to continue to have that impact. Thank you both of you for sharing your perspective. For me, that's why any board [music] meeting is just a space where I'm here to lean in, to listen, to engage thoughtfully, if given [music] the opportunity, ask meaningful questions that allow me to have a better understanding of whatever [music] it is that is in front of us. But not just me, everyone on that day is everyone [music] in front of me. So we can
004all collectively do the work of understanding it together [music] and moving it forward.