Join Me in Voting for Laura Liu for the Scarsdale School Board of Education

(This letter was submitted by Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez)
I encourage Scarsdale residents to join me in voting for Laura Liu for School Board Trustee on May 20 at the Scarsdale Middle School from 7:00am – 9:00pm. I have known Laura for about a decade, since we have worked together closely in Scarsdale as cub scout and scout leaders, the Education Committee of the Scarsdale Forum, and as Parent Teacher Council (PTC) Budget Co-Chairs. From numerous conversations I have had with her, I also know that she has volunteered extensively at Heathcote Elementary School and in a number of Chinese organizations in Westchester County. Laura embodies what the Scarsdale School District stands for ‘non sibi.’

Despite her impressive academic background in chemistry and finance with degrees from Peking University, Columbia, and Cornell, she is incredibly humble and approachable. Since she has lived in Heathcoate for many years and has had her three sons in Scarsdale schools, I have observed frequently that she is well-informed about the needs of our students as well as mindful of teachers’ and taxpayers’ concerns.

In her leadership roles in cub scouts (ages 5 – 10) and scouts (ages 11-17), Laura has worked with boys and girls from all over Scarsdale. She knows how to roll up her sleeves and help with demanding Eagle projects, fundraising for Scarsdale Troop 4, developing activities for scouts, and even organizing end of year parties. No activity is too small or too big for her. Presently, as Troop 4 Committee Chair, she works with a lot of very different adult leaders; her skills in being patient and mindful of different opinions helps keep everybody on track to develop the best troop for our scouts.

When we were Scarsdale PTC Budget Co-Chairs, I witnessed and benefitted from her very good listening, quantitative, and writing skills. We engaged with residents to encourage them to be involved in the budget process, drew up questions for the District to answer, and designed a budget glossary and Frequently Asked Questions resource for parents. Laura will bring important analytical skills to the Board of Education at a time when fund balance, healthcare and insurance costs, and bond issuances will be key topics.

Additionally, Laura and I share a love of languages. As a bilingual speaker of Mandarin and English, she values the acquisition of foreign languages and is aware of the importance of raising our students as global citizens. I look forward to voting for Laura on May 20th.

Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez