Mayor to students: Build character
If you are going to be the best that you can be, you need to have character in your lives, Mayor Fred Cavanaugh told students Wednesday at Mead Hall Episcopal School.
The City of Aiken mayor was the school's first speaker for its new character lecture series, which brings local community leaders to Mead Hall to talk to students about character.
Katherine Gordon, head of Mead Hall, said two parents came up with the idea for the characters series and helped to select the speakers.
"Our students can benefit from meeting these community leaders," she said.
Cavanaugh is one of four local speakers slated to appear at the school. The next lecture in the series will be held on Jan. 6. It will feature Heidi White, a local Olympic equestrian athlete. White will speak to students about dedication and preservation.
In March, Ike Ofoje, head soccer coach at USC Aiken, will address Mead Hall students, and May's speaker will be Gary Willoughby, executive director of Aiken SPCA.
In his speech, Cavanaugh talked to students about his road to becoming the City's mayor and the obstacles he faced. Cavanaugh, who has served as Aiken's mayor for 18 years, since 1991, told students he lost his first race for a County Council seat. Cavanaugh said the next year he decided to run for City Council and won.
Cavanaugh also spoke to students about the importance of carefully considering their actions. He stressed that students be truthful and possess good leadership skills.
"We have the ability every morning when we get out of bed to determine what our attitude is going to be that day," he said.
According to Cavanaugh, the City began its Character First Initiative 10 years ago. He works with a group of volunteers on the initiative, which aims to promote character development, encourage strong families and create more involved citizens throughout Aiken.
The City's character trait for this month is patience. The character trait for September was responsibility.
Contact April Bailey at abailey@aikenstandard.com.