Local Leader Debbie Meyers-Martin Educates Students on Her Role as State Representative (Park Forest, IL) — Michelle Obama School of Technology and the Arts today hosted State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin (D-Olympia Fields) at their 2021-2022 Career Day Expo. Michelle Obama School is a middle school in Chicago Heights-Park Forest School District 163. At the day-long event, 7th and 8th grade students heard from industry experts about their career choices.

Meyers-Martin told the middle school students about her history of public service, which began with simply getting involved and volunteering. Later, she was asked to serve on a commission by the former mayor of Country Club HIlls. She then became a trustee in Olympia Fields, followed by Mayor of Olympia Fields. Meyters-Martin is now the State Representative for the 38th District in Illinois.

Meyers-Martin further explained her duties and responsibilities as a State Representative, including a description of what a State Representative does. Her testimony included a story of how she had to debate a bill on the house floor regarding a teacher mentorship program. She described the process that a bill takes to get voted upon and written into law, and provided several examples of bills that have been proposed.

She stressed the importance of standing up for what is right for the communities she serves. “There are times when things that should be easy are extremely difficult…if your purpose is to be a public servant, then my motto is to be relevant. To be relevant to the people that I serve, so that when they think about that office, that they know that I am standing up and that I am speaking for them. And that is why I am going to Springfield 6 months out of the year…I have to firmly believe that what I am doing will have benefit and value in that community.”

Meyers-Martin also explained the importance of having integrity in everything you do. “Every night, when you look in the mirror, you have to feel good about what you have done, what you have represented, what you have said, and what you have stood for. Otherwise, you will not be successful, and suddenly, you won’t feel complimented by the work that you do.”