2018-19 Morning Student Council President Shelley Cheng's Forum Speech

On Sept 26th, 2018, Shelley Cheng - our new Morning
2018-19 Student Council President - gave this stand-out speech at the Candidates Forum. With her permission, here it is for you to read:

Shelly Cheng giving her speech at the 2018 Candidate Forum
Director Tim Doyle is listening in the background

Good morning, everyone. I am Shelley Cheng, and I come from China. Now I’m a low advance student of San Mateo Adult School. My morning class teacher is Jessica,and my afternoon class teachers are Patricia, Lisa and Lily.

It’s my pleasure to have the chance to run for president of the student council. I have a husband ,a daughter and a dog, so I am used to handling the problems well.

First, I would like to share my international experiences with you. My friends usually say that I am a nice and understanding person. One of the reasons is that I have been to many different countries. I lived in the Czech Republic for two years, in Germany for four years and I have been to more than 15 countries. I learned about different cultures and  I love to communicate with different people.

I was a marketing manager for 10 years in China. My work involved organizing , planning , and executing the National College Photo Contest, exhibitions, lectures, introducing magazine to the clients, and training management teams. In addition, I can make an efficient schedule, work well with people from all walks of life, and I know how to interact professionally with both co-workers and clients.

I am not only driven at work, but also at play. I am proud to say that I have run 3 Marathons, even though I ran very slowly. Constant exercise gives me a healthy body and strength.

I couldn’t imagine six months ago that I could stand up and say so much in English about  myself. When I first came to the United States, I felt anxious , I lost my confidence and direction. I even was afraid to talk with people who speak in English.

Since I have been studying at San Mateo Adult School, I have gained valuable experience with the help of all the outstanding teachers.  I got back my confidence that I had when I was a manager, traveling the world, and running marathons.

Now my life has goals with meaning. This school has improved not only my language skills, but also my social skills. I have made many friends and participated in many great activities, such as International day, Government academy, being a Garden Club member, volunteering for the food bank, and being a student ambassador.

I would like to share my experience with you because we are the same, because I want to do something to give back to our school, to give back to everyone who helped me and encouraged me.

When I am president, I will try my best to serve students and create a good communication bridge between students, teachers and the director. I will assist teachers and the student council in organizing activities to help the students improve language skills and make more friends.

That’s why I am standing here.You can believe me that I can do this, I can be your president. Together, we can do better.

I hope you will vote for me. Thank you very much!

Thank you, Shelly, for sharing your speech with us, and for making the commitment to share your skills through public service to our school.

A Team of Leaders
2018-19 Morning Student Council
Secretary Claudia Asselborn
Vice President Shereen Lata
President Shelly Cheng
City of San Mateo Mayor Rick Bonilla