Over the last couple of months, Loyola’s Student Government Association (SGA) has worked hard to bring Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to campus. On April 16, those plans came to life as Mayor Scott came to speak to students about ways to engage in civic life, public policy, and how to hold hope as a leader.
The Baltimore native is serving his second term as the city’s mayor and as the first Baltimore mayor elected for a second term in over 20 years. He was also one of the youngest city council members when first elected to office at age of 27.
“I decided I wanted to be the mayor at six or seven years old. Unfortunately, it’s not for a good reason. I was outside and someone got shot when I was a kid,” Scott said.
While speaking with students, Scott expressed how important it was to him that he is a mayor that has experienced the causes that he fights for. As an inner-city Baltimore native, he was exposed to the good and the bad that goes on within the city limits.
Scott told a group of about 35 students that his plan as mayor involves bringing down violent crimes, continuing the fight against the vacant housing crisis, and finding ways to take care of the youth in Baltimore.
According to the Baltimore City government, since Scott took office there has been a sharp decline in violent crimes, with homicides and shootings declining by 60% since 2021.
In college, Scott said he was involved in student-led organizations such as the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Black Student Union and Student Government Association, giving him the public service skills and experience at a young age that helped propel him into a career in public service.
The mayor said one of his current challenges is fighting with public service members at the state level to improve his community at the local level. He discussed how a lot of the funding that should be going to cities is being held by the states, making it much harder for cities, their communities, and citizens to get the financial attention they deserve.
Add to that current measures being taken against the Department of Education at the federal level, and mayors have even more economic challenges than normal, according to Scott.
One of the mayor’s key messages to students was to start becoming involved now. He encouraged students to start their journey as a leader now, to seize the opportunities that are without a doubt there, and to not let anything become an excuse to not go and live and feel it for oneself.
Sophomore Sarah Flores attended the event with excitement to meet with local leadership. Flores serves on the council for the Student Government Association with hopes to return as a senator next year. She described the conversation with the mayor as important.
“It just felt really nice, you know, that he’d come to talk to our student leaders. I really hope that we continue prolonging this relationship with Mayor Scott,” Flores said.
President Terry Sawyer was in attendance at the event but unfortunately had to leave early due to other obligations. On his way out, Sawyer took the time to show his utmost appreciation for Scott’s presence in the city and on Loyola’s campus.
“Mayor Scott, we’ve had a lot of elected officials here to talk. And we’ve never had anyone as real as you. As a President of a college in this city, I can say that I am proud to have you as my mayor,” Sawyer said.
The event came together quickly, with SGA getting confirmation the mayor was coming only 48 hours before the visit. Despite the rush, having the mayor speak on campus was something Executive Vice President of SGA Gabriel Gómez said he could not pass up.
“Leadership and service are part of what Loyola emphasizes and what Loyola strives to achieve. And by having someone like the mayor who was a student leader and who does hold a very prominent leadership position and is constantly in the national news and in the limelight … I think it’s important that we brought him. And he’s also someone that has been looking to build connections with Loyola, and I think this is a great first step for us to do that,” Gómez said.
