"At Arts Day we advocated for local grassroots funding and arts education (requiring 6-12 graders to accumulate an arts education credit before graduating high school). Why were you advocating for these issues and why do you think they are important for Charlotte-Mecklenburg?"
My answer: I didn't receive any arts education until I was 11 years old. I was fortunate to start in a school that had a significant focus on music, and as a result I received training in classical piano until I completed my high school. I believe music education had the biggest impact in my life more than any other subject I studied. I learned through it the meaning of sensibility and attention to details, discipline, focus on work and excel, among others. I transferred those skills into my professional areas (finance and visual arts) and I'm sure this particular education contributed in accomplishing my goals. I strongly support arts education in the youth because it opens their minds more than anything else, and as a result the community receives better professionals. A well trained workforce translates into economic prosperity and benefits for everybody.