“Give more than is expected. Love more than seems wise. Serve more than seems necessary. And help more than is asked.” – Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ
I had the privilege of hearing Cory Booker speak at my annual high school symposium at Castilleja. He is a man of the head and the heart. It is such beauty to hear him speak, with such thought-through practical solutions, and yet also with great compassion.
One of my favorite stories was on Christmas Eve or New Year’s (I can’t remember which one), a woman called him asking if City Services could help her shovel her driveway. Instead of asking the office to get involved, he simply picked up a shovel, showed up on her doorstep, and did it himself. Having met him in person, I imagine he also did it with a brilliant smile.
Cory Booker is the mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Yale Law School. He has operated a free legal clinic; served as City Councilman in Newark; and founded Newark Now to connect residents with services. Throughout his career, he has focused on fighting drug dealing, assisting low-income residents, and improving education. Under his leadership, Newark leads the country in crime reduction, and affordable housing has more than doubled, while dramatically reducing the city budget deficit. Cory Booker has more than one million Twitter followers.