Dear Neighbors,

Six months ago, I was elected as your councilmember. As I sit down to write this before heading off to enjoy the holidays with family, I can’t help but reflect on what we’ve gotten done in just a few short months. Since taking office in August, we’ve passed policies to make our neighborhoods and downtown vibrant by taking on blight, we’ve invested in public safety by banning nitrous oxide and getting assault rifles off the streets, and we’ve broken ground on affordable housing with more on the way in 2026. (Keep scrolling for my 2025 highlights!)

I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in such a short period of time, but I’m also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve our neighbors as your councilmember. We have so much more to do and I can’t want to roll up my sleeves and get back to work in the new year.

In the meantime, I hope you spend this holiday season surrounded by light, laughter, and loved ones. As a reminder, City Hall will be closed on Wednesday, December 24 through Friday, January 2. We’ll see you in 2026!

Yours in community,

We celebrated Las Posadas here in District 3, sharing food, songs, and tradition in the spirit of hospitality and hope. I was able to make it out to the festivities at the Washington United Youth Center and CET San Jose after my last City Council meeting of the year!

Last week, we recognized Native American Heritage Month with a flag raising at City Hall. Thank you to the Muwekma Ohlone, the original stewards of this land, for their devotion to the important work of indigenous cultural preservation in the face of centuries of oppression, disinvestment, and the pressure to assimilate. Growing up as a member of the Tlingit Tribe of coastal Alaska, I learned the importance of carrying forward our culture and heritage — and just how hard that work can be.

I love opportunities to bring SJSU and our neighborhoods together! The Community Crew are a group of SJSU students who created a TikTok account to highlight the hidden gems of the Spartan Keyes neighborhood. Elizabeth from my office went to check out their presentation where they reported out on what they learned during the semester. You can follow them on TikTok at @thecommunitycrewsjsu!

My team and I wrapped up our last week in the office by volunteering at the Sacred Heart Community Service holiday toy giveaway! Making the season brighter for kids here in D3 and beyond was a great way to head into the holidays.