Rep. John Velis
Hello Westfield!
I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and time whether you spent it with your family, friends, or whoever may be in your lives. Though it is something we should all be cognizant of more of the time, this time of year reminds us to give a little more and keep our neighbors in mind.
In the time before Thanksgiving I assisted in serving the Forum House’s Thanksgiving dinner for their lunch meal. It was amazing to see all of the great people volunteering to serve lunch, but the amount of people who came to partake in the lunch was astounding. The work that everyone does at the Clubhouse is truly inspirational. The lessons and responsibility taught in the Clubhouse is something so important to the community and incredibly impactful on the members I had the pleasure of conversing with. It is always a joy to spend time actively learning more and witnessing in action how programs work in real time, it is a tradition I look forward to continuing!
As part of my daily routine, I always am trying to get out and see what is needed for people to achieve and continue performing in whatever environment they are in. I had the opportunity of seeing the Career Symposium at Westfield Middle School and the work that the students are putting in there to continue learning about what is out there in the future. I was able to explain my path to the State House and my current position. This type of event I think is so great for all people to attend at some point whether it is through school or a career center since often times this is a thought many of us may think, to have certain dreams, but not know what the path is to achieving that. Talking to people and learning about what they have done to get where they are is a great method of doing this as well.
This week I had the opportunity to go to the Westfield High School National Honor Society Induction Ceremony. To be inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) is an accomplishment that represents ones’ dedication to service and academic achievement. It takes a commitment to excellence and dedication to put in those extra hours outside of the classroom. On top of the curricular success, NHS members learn how to become pillars in society; such as helping others during their required community service hours. It is quite the achievement to not only do the extra work required, but to be acknowledged for such work. Completing the extra objectives can be difficult for so many people as well, you never know what they are going through to complete these objectives, so it is really amazing for every single person who is inducted to be able to acknowledge what it took to get themselves there. I was very proud to be there to congratulate all the new inductees. Good luck on your continued journey and to those who seek to join in the future.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about bills or any other issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out! My office can be reached at [email protected] or (413) 572-3920. Have a great week!
