On Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, Mayor William "Bill" Peduto of Pittsburgh presented Jasmine with a proclamation declaring it "Jasmine Cho Day."
Mayor Peduto read, "Whereas her tireless creative drive, her commitment to empowering underrepresented communities in service to Pittsburgh is deserving of public recognition." In attendance to witness the historic occasion were Jasmine's partner Ryan, a handful of family friends, and several others currently working in the Mayor's Office.
The Mayor surprised Jasmine by announcing, "Speech!" to direct her to share a few words. Jasmine initially responded by saying, "Oh my gosh, uh okay, I did not prepare a speech at all!" She then went on to share the many emotions she wrestled with since first learning about the proclamation back in early December.
Referring to her struggle with Imposter Syndrome, Jasmine shared, "I feel like [this award] is premature, like there's not enough that I've done, that there should be more that I do." However, thanks to her support system of friends, mentees, and mentors, she was able to reframe the recognition in a positive and selfless way. "I was reminded that there's a season for everything...this is a season of harvest, and the meaning of harvest is to share with others." She continued, "...sometimes, we receive these individual awards more to serve other people as a motivation and to inspire their greater selves, so I will take this award in hopes that it'll inspire the community more to be their best selves."
At the end of Jasmine's impromptu speech, Mayor Peduto remarked, "Between the combination of giving yourself to others and your public speaking, I think part of that next chapter's gonna involve a run for public office."
Although thankful for the Mayor's encouragement, Jasmine has no plans to run for office and hopes to simply continue inspiring and educating through what she loves doing most - making cookies.
Watch Jasmine's acceptance speech below!
