The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Brooke R. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Observe - Shadow a Local Leader
On August 31, I woke up in the morning and put on my suit, preparing for my day of shadowing Portage City Councilwoman Margaret O'Brien. I received a call shortly after breakfast, with Margaret apologizing that her son had been injured in a soccer game and she was taking him to an appointment, so our meeting would be slightly delayed.
A few hours later, I pulled up to Margaret's home and was invited in with a warm greeting. We then proceeded to head up to her office, a large room filled from top to bottom with stacks of paperwork and folders. “Color coded”, she told me, so she knew what type of information was contained—yellow for clients, purple for personal, and red, blue, and manila folders for various other topics.
The first order of the day was for O'Brien to answer a number of e-mails, text messages, and phone calls. She deftly clicked out answers on her computers, often talking on her cell phone at the same time. Margaret explained to me that she has about twenty clients that she constantly works with on a nearly day to day basis in her real estate business. For nearly an hour, she discussed offers, conditions, and state of the homes with potential sellers and buyers.
Finally, O'Brien clicked "send" on a final e-mail, and we moved on to the next task. We headed to the city hall, about a five minute drive from her home. When we arrived, Margaret spoke with a number of coworkers about different issues, exchanging jokes with a few, and expressing good-natured frustration that one coworker was moving on to "warmer pastures". I received a tour of the building, visiting the room that the City Council holds their meetings in, being shown where the different video cameras, recording stations, and microphones were. We visited several sections of the town hall, including the areas that dealt with building regulations, archives of past City Council meetings, and the Fire and Police departments.
Once Margaret was done at the City Hall, we drove to RE/MAX realty, where O'Brien works. She explained that she does most of her work here from home, but comes in when it is necessary. I met her "roommate", and watched as Margaret answered another plethora of e-mails. Having finished her job there, O'Brien headed back toward home.
Back at the house, Margaret had more messages waiting for her in her inbox and on her voicemail. She talked with me as she feverishly worked. Adding on to the leadership interview she had responded to earlier, she gave me a great deal of advice on leadership, recommending the Michigan Political Leadership Program. She told me she had been a speaker at SSI during Week 1, and told me some of her life story and how her experiences had made her a stronger person.
Additionally, Margaret printed a twelve page paper for me on leadership that dealt specifically with how she implements leadership in her faith. We talked for about an hour, discussing hobbies, sharing recipes (we both love baking), and petting O'Brien's dog, Daisy. Margaret also told me a great deal about the pressures and challenges of a political career, recognizing that there is always more that can be done and acknowledging the importance of getting out of the political mindset for a period of time to gain perspective.
Overall, shadowing Margaret O'Brien was a great experience, and one that will not end with that single day. Margaret encouraged me to come to her with any questions, to attend City Council meetings, and to shadow her during other days when she had different responsibilities. In fact, I had previously met with O'Brien at a luncheon, where I was announced as her special guest. Margaret offered to mentor me and continue to meet with me throughout this year. Spending time with and learning from someone who has accomplished so much and has such passion for life was an honor, and I look forward to learning more from Margaret O'Brien in the future.
