Wichita: The City Is Our Campus with Mayor Lily Wu

Transcript

We have the distinguished honor to hear from Wichita Mayor, Lily Wu. Mayor Wu is a 2007 graduate of Wichita State and she continues to work with the university in her official capacity to strengthen partnerships and support the growth and development of Wichita and its institutions. Mayor Wu, the floor is yours.

– Thanks, Alex. It’s my honor to welcome you to my hometown of Wichita, Kansas. I arrived here as an 8-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, and now serve as the city’s 103rd mayor. I’m living proof that anything is possible in the air capital of the world. In 2003, I was blessed to start my collegiate journey at Wichita State and was awarded the distinguished full-ride Gore Scholarship. I majored in international business and integrated marketing communication. While at Wichita State, I gained hands-on experience at WSU TV and internships at the Hayes Company and Koch Industries. I appreciate the connections and opportunities that Wichita State provided me through mentors and student organizations. The connections I made in the community involvement I experienced during my years at Wichita State helped me to lead Kansas’ largest city. Wichita is a global city that celebrates cultural diversity with festivals like River Fest, the Tallgrass Film Festival, and the Wichita Asian Festival showcasing our vibrant community. We have amazing food festivals and our city offers more than 1200 restaurants from global cuisine to local breweries and coffee shops that make Wichita a foodie paradise. Wichita State’s affiliated institution WSU Tech offers opportunities in other fields including aviation maintenance, smart manufacturing, culinary arts, and professional pilot certification. Wichita State’s commitment to our community is also evident in the $300 million investment in healthcare through the Wichita Biomedical campus. I’m proud of the limitless opportunities Wichita State students enjoy. Here in Wichita, your dreams are possible. Wichita State students are connected to a community where they can reach their full potential. They can work alongside professionals in internships and paid applied learning experiences on and off campus. I’d like to invite more people to join Shocker Nation and choose Wichita to live, work, and raise a family. Thanks for visiting us Alex, back to you.

– Thank you Mayor Wu. We can tell that you’re proud of your alma mater and your city, and rightfully so. The city and campus have been so warm and welcoming to all of us and we cannot wait to visit again soon. Thank you again, Mayor Wu.