On Friday, October 28, 4th Ward Alderman Sophia King came to speak to the Upper School at Student Government Plenary. Sophia King has been an Alderman since 2016 and is now running in the 2023 Chicago mayoral election.

A panel of five Parker Students had a discussion with Ms. King in which she shared her life story and various anecdotes. One piece of advice she gave to the student body was to make sure to surround yourself with friends who support you, just like her friends encouraged her to pursue political office.

Sophomore Desi Molina, head of the Social Justice Committee, was responsible for bringing the Alderman to Parker to speak. Molina said, “I think it’s important to be exposed to and get advice from real-life politicians in order to better Student Government at Parker.”

One distinction that King made about her role was that she considers herself a community servant, not a politician. She shared that her belief is that it is her responsibility to help the community as best she can. One way she puts this into action is by making sure to spend the most money in areas that have been underfunded in the past. 

When asked about how she stays true to herself in the tough political world, King said that she always tries to stay true to her “north star.” This north star is a set of values and goals, and she said that everybody should try and stay true to their north star. For King, the most important issues in Chicago are equity and violence control. 

The insights that King left Parker with were both insightful and helpful in leading the Parker community to become better and more educated citizens of the world. A theme that has been recurring throughout the entire year for high school students.