正式活動結束後，與會人員參觀了實習生的海報展臺，進一步瞭解了他們精彩的暑期經歷。

晚上好，感謝您的熱情介紹。感謝你們今晚在晚會上款待我。我非常榮幸能來到這裡，向大家講述公共服務的重要性。

首先，我要感謝俄州亞裔聯盟AACO，尤其要感謝丘紅和王文奎幾個月前主動聯絡我，安排學生到我們哥倫布市政府進行這次公益實習。今年夏天，我有幸接待了 安吉拉（Angela Zheng），毫不誇張地說，她給我們辦公室的每個人都留下了深刻印象。安吉拉是我們辦公室的得力助手，有她在辦公室工作真的很開心。因此，感謝安吉拉選擇了本市，並在今年夏天接受了我們的工作挑戰。我還要向安吉拉的父母致敬，感謝他們養育了這樣一位可愛又聰明的女孩。事實上，也要感謝在座的各位家長，感謝你們做出犧牲，培養出如此有前途的年輕人。

今晚，我受邀來到這裡，談談公共服務的重要性，對我而言，我想談談公共服務對我的意義。

這個話題對我來說既重要又包含個人感情。

我對公共服務的興趣來自於我的父親，他的職業生涯一直在聯邦政府和州政府中度過。從小他就給我留下了公共服務的高尚烙印，並一直激勵我為同胞服務。我父親服務的領域是政治遊說和政府服務。他經常提醒我們，公共服務是社會繁榮的基石。一個自由民主的社會要想繁榮昌盛，其民眾就必須瞭解社會，並積極參與治理社會。他和我分享了我們的領導人的經驗教訓，特別是那些經常不畏極端環境、在危機中發揮領導作用、在艱難抉擇中奮鬥不止，甚至付出終極代價的領導人的經驗教訓。

肯尼迪總統說過："不要問你的國家能為你做什麼，而要問你能為你的國家做什麼。這一標誌性的行動號召在今天仍然和他的時代一樣具有現實意義。肯尼迪的挑戰不僅是對公民參與的呼籲，更是深刻地提醒我們，國家、州和地方社群的力量取決於公民為共同利益做出貢獻的意願。

從本質上講，公共服務就是要有所作為–無論是透過政策、社群參與，還是僅僅幫助需要幫助的鄰居。

我父親是我的英雄，他的教誨引導我選擇了政治學專業。我覺得自己有責任改變現狀。在州政府短暫任職後，我進入法學院學習，並迷上了工會和為工人服務。在代表工會和員工工作了幾年後，我來到了哥倫布市人力資源部。在接下來的八年裡，我一路晉升為人力資源部主任。

在哥倫布市工作是從事真正重要工作的機會。對我來說，我可以滿足為哥倫布市民服務的員工的需求。這些公務員致力於打擊犯罪、提供清潔的水、安全的道路和公園；他們致力於提供好工作和經濟適用房；他們致力於降低嬰兒死亡率、收集垃圾和應對緊急情況。僅舉幾例。

人力資源不僅僅是招聘和解僱，還要確保我們的員工擁有薪酬、資源、福利、保護和支援，不僅能夠勝任工作，而且能夠在工作中茁壯成長。

對我來說，公共服務不僅是一種職責，更是一種特權。能夠說我生活在這座城市，為這座城市工作，為我的鄰居服務，是我的榮幸。公共服務提供了一個獨特的平臺，可以帶來積極的變化，直面我們社會所面臨的挑戰。

我們的工作就是要勇敢地面對這些挑戰，並與不同的利益攸關方合作，特別是在危機時期，共同制定旨在造福所有人的解決方案。但我們的工作不僅僅是對問題做出反應，而是要積極主動地創造機會、促進創新，並確保我們的社群具有包容性和復原力。

“如果我們等待其他人或其他時間，變革就不會到來。我們就是我們一直在等待的人。我們就是我們所尋求的變革"。前總統奧巴馬的致辭強調了個人行動的緊迫性以及我們在塑造未來過程中共同承擔的集體責任。

讓我明確一點–公共服務並不侷限於民選官員或政府角色。它也與政治或某個政黨無關。我們有責任成為參與其中的公民。我們每個人都可以發揮作用–無論是透過志願服務、參與地方政府、服兵役、支援解決社會需求的倡議，還是僅僅參與到本組織中，像你們一樣相互支援。

我們的行動，無論多麼微小，都很重要，都能為更大的公民利益做出貢獻。我們每個人都有能力影響我們的社群，努力建設一個更加公平和公正的社會。

最後，請允許我引用另一句話。泰迪·羅斯福總統曾說過："人生最好的獎賞，就是有機會努力從事值得做的工作。你們都非常聰明，才華橫溢，無論你們做什麼，都會帶來豐富的價值。在你們完成學業並考慮自己的未來時，請牢記公共服務的崇高性。

謝謝你們！

Good evening and thank you for the warm introduction. Thank you for hosting me at your gala tonight. I’m truly honored to be here and speak to you about the importance of public service.

First, I want to thank the Asian American Coalition of Ohio, especially to Hong and Vincent for reaching out to me months ago and arranging this public service internship with the City of Columbus. I had the pleasure of hosting Angela this summer and I’m not exaggerating when I say she impressed everyone in our office. Angela was wonderful to supervise and she was truly a joy to have in the office. So thank you Angela, for choosing the City and putting up with us this summer. I also want to send kudos to Angela’s parents, for raising such a delightful and bright young woman. In fact, to all of the parents here, thank you for your sacrifices and raising such promising young people.

I was asked to be here tonight to talk about the importance of Public Service and for me, to talk about what it means to me.

This is a subject that is both critical and personal to me.

My interest for public service came from my father who spent his career in and around federal and state government. He impressed upon me the nobility of public service and the call to serve your fellow man from an early age. My father’s vessel of service was politics, lobbying and government service. He was quick to remind us that public service is the bedrock of a thriving society. For a free and democratic society to prosper, its populace needs to be informed, engaged and active in its governance. He shared with me the lessons of our leaders and in particular those who often braved extreme circumstances, lead through crises, toiled with excruciating decisions and some who even paid the ultimate price.

John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” This iconic call to action remains as relevant today as it was in his era. Kennedy‘s challenge was not just a plea for civic involvement but a profound reminder that the strength of our nation, state and local communities depend on the willingness of its citizens to contribute to the common good.

Public service, in its essence, is about making a difference—whether through policy, community engagement, or simply helping a neighbor in need.

It was the lessons of my father, my hero, which led me to my major, political science. I felt called to make a difference. After a brief stint in state government, I went to law school, and became enamored with labor unions and serving workers. After a few years representing labor unions and employees, I landed at the City of Columbus, and in the Department of Human Resources. Over the next eight years later, I worked my way up to become the Director of Human Resources.

Working at the City is an opportunity to engage in work that truly matters. For me, I get to address the needs of our employees who serve the citizens of Columbus. Those public servants work to fight crime, provide clean water, safe roads and parks; they work to provide access to good jobs and affordable housing; they work to lower infant mortality, collect our trash and respond to emergencies. Just to name a few.

HR isn’t just hiring and firing, its making sure our employees have the pay, resources, benefits, protections, and support to not only do their job, but thrive in it.

To me, public service is not merely a duty but a privilege. It’s an honor to be able to say I live in the City, work for the City and serve my neighbor. Public Service provides a unique platform to effect positive change and to tackle the challenges that confront our society head-on.

Our work is about facing those challenges with courage and working collaboratively with a diverse body of stakeholders to create solutions that aim to benefit everyone, particularly during times of crisis. But our work is not just about reacting to problems; it is about proactively creating opportunities, fostering innovation, and ensuring that our communities are inclusive and resilient.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Former President Obama’s message underscores the urgency of individual action and the collective responsibility we share in shaping our future.

Let me be clear – public service is not confined to elected officials or governmental roles. It’s not about politics or one political party either. We have a responsibility to be engaged citizens. We all have a role to play – whether through volunteering, participating in local government, military service, supporting initiatives that address societal needs or simply being engaged in this organization and advocating for each other as you do.

Our actions, however small, matter and can contribute to the greater civic good. Each of us has the power to impact our communities and to work towards a more equitable and just society.

Let me finish with another quote. Teddy Roosevelt once said “The best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” You’re all incredibly bright, talented and will bring a wealth of value to whatever you do. As you progress through school and you consider your future, keep the nobility of public service in mind.

Thank you.