The best kind of mayors are the ones who exhibit a lot of intelligence, enthusiasm and intriguing ideas. It is obvious that Evelyn Bush, Toledo’s Kid Mayor, checks these boxes.
A Mayor with ideas
When the City of Toledo invited students from Toledo Public and Washington Local Schools to apply to be the 2022 Kid Mayor, Evelyn’s guidance counselor at Glenwood Elementary encouraged her to consider it. They sat down together to fill out the application because, as Evelyn said, “ I just had so many ideas to make Toledo better and thought that it was time for people to hear them.”
At the end of the yearlong program, which includes activities and field trips to learn about local government, the 13 children chosen to be on the Kid Council are given the opportunity to pitch an idea that would make Toledo better. Evelyn may have a hard time deciding which of her good ideas is her best idea.
Two of her ideas combine parades with solving the problems of the city. She has big ideas for a trash-themed parade that would provide entertainment and fun while volunteers clean up their neighborhoods. Her favorite TV show, “Pet Stars,” inspired her to expand on the idea of having an in-person and virtual parade of costumed shelter animals in need of adoption.
A mayor with goals
Evelyn also turns to books for inspiration. When she felt conflicted because she has interests in both fashion and mechanical engineering, her mom found a book about Heddy Lamarr, a glamorous actress from the 1940s who was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her work on developing frequency-hopping radio guidance systems that were eventually incorporated into Bluetooth and GPS technology. Evelyn’s mother Aimee said, “I wanted Evelyn to see that a woman can work in a glamorous industry and also go to her lab and work to solve difficult scientific problems.”
A mayor with advice
Being the Kid Mayor comes with the platform to advise citizens. When asked what words of wisdom she has for the children of Toledo Evelyn said, “How you behave in your school, with your parents and in your community matters. Even the smallest action can change the world.” For parents her advice is simple: “Be good to your kids. Make sure they are eating well and spoil them sometimes.”
Q&A:
Q&A:What do you enjoy doing outside of school and being Kid Mayor? I take art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art, aerial acrobatics classes at Bird’s Eye View Circus and I’m in productions at the Children’s Theater Workshop.
Who do you admire and why? My mom, because she introduced me to theater and helps me learn things that aren’t in the school curriculum.
What famous person would you like to invite to dinner? Mary McCloud Betheune, because she started her own school, and Beyonce, because I am inspired by her music, fashion and confidence.
What are you currently reading? I am reading two books: “Evangeline of the Bayou” in which the main character is a monster-hunting girl, and a book about the periodic table of elements.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I watched a lot of educational TV when I was younger and, because of that, I got to skip first grade.
What is it like working with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz? He is really nice. I like to laugh at his jokes.
What is your advice for next year’s Kid Mayor? It’s hard, but try to have fun with it. There are a lot of people looking up to you and expecting things of you. Try to keep it light.
