Hanging out with Mr. Mayor

Like I said the other day, you never know who you're going to meet. Yesterday, The Washington Center hosted a speaking engagement for Ryan Coonerty, a former TWC alum, who is now the mayor of Santa Cruz, California. The mayor talked about his time in D.C. as an intern and how he ended up in politics. He also gave some really good advice for students considering law school(he went to the University of Virginia law school and reminded us several times that Bobby Kennedy went there as well). Mayor Coonerty said it's okay to go to law school in order to learn a new way of thinking, because you would learn how to break down and analyze everything you read and what people say. But, the downside is that you would turn into the annoying know it all friend!

When Ryan Coonerty was an intern in D.C., he worked at the White House during the Clinton administration and he had plenty of good stories to tell. His girlfriend at the time had a college class with Monica Lewinsky, so he had to dish out some good gossip there(apparently Bill Clinton wasn't the first boss or professor). The mayor was one of the best speakers I've heard in a long time. He talked in a simple laid back way with plenty of good humor. I haven't met a lot of mayors in my life, but I'd be willing to bet that Ryan Coonerty is one of the coolest. So cool in fact, that I had to get my picture taken with him afterwards! Doesn't he look a lot like RSU's own Dr. Woller without a goatee?