KC Mayor visits Central High School to talk with students
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas visited Central High School to talk with students and district leaders on Friday, Nov. 14.
International Baccalaureate (IB) student representatives met the mayor at the door and led him on a short tour of the school, before bringing him to the library for a short discussion with Central, IB and Springfield Public Schools district leadership. While Lucas was enthusiastic in his discussions with leadership, it was clear that he was most excited to talk with students.
After that initial conversation, Lucas moved to a more open question and answer session on the topic of civic engagement with a small group of Central students in the IB Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related programs. There, students asked the mayor about his personal experiences, inspirations and time in politics. He regaled the students with lessons and accounts of his time as a law student, lawyer, city councilman and mayor.
“Oftentimes, we only see community leaders through a digital screen, so having the rare opportunity to meet a leader in person - and ask them questions - is truly inspirational,” said a student.
One particularly touching moment came when a student asked Lucas why he chose to stay in Missouri and pursue politics here.
“When I was finishing law school in New York state, I was like ‘who’s gonna make things better for a kid like me?’” said Lucas. “I said, ‘Yeah, I should be able to live near my family and it be an accepting place. It should be a place that’s safe from gun violence and all of that.' So I thought it was important to be a part of that change. My Missouri story is as valuable and important as anyone else’s.”
Despite a busy schedule and many other commitments while visiting Springfield, Lucas was fully present with the students and gave them his undivided attention. At the end of the discussion, the mayor even remarked that he was enjoying the conversation so much that they could have kept it going for hours.
A significant part of why the mayor visited Central is because his policy director, Katherine Nace, is an alumna of the school. While many were excited to meet Mayor Lucas, much of the school staff was just as, if not more, excited to see Nace, a beloved former student. It’s clear that SPS is proud of their former students’ successes and love to see them return to inspire the next generation of students.
