Having been a resident of Pasadena my entire life, I have always been extremely proud to be a Pasadenian. When asked, however, how the town is doing, what is it like to be a part of this town, I come to a halt. Living in Pasadena for so long, I have overlooked the greatness of our city. The state of the city by Mr. Bogaard has shown me the great wonder and accomplishments our city has had in the past year and has taught me why I am proud to be from Pasadena.

Upon arriving at Cal Tech’s Beckman Auditorium, I was greeted with an awesome display of the Mars Rover, Curiosity. Despite being just a model, it is amazing just to see the sheer size of the rover.  After taking pictures with Curiosity we entered the auditorium. With the introduction of the many city officers that were introduced and thanked at the start of the event, including local congressmen, the gravity of the event began to dawn on me. I felt truly honored to be representing my school at such an important event. We sat and watched an amazing video on the mars rover, about its landing process and the reaction of the many watching around the world. It showed how big Pasadena is in the world scale. People around the world were watching a robot land on a distant planet from our city. It is incredible how big Pasadena is in the world of science and engineering, and amazing that a major part of space and interplanetary exploration has been developed in our city. This went well with the theme of celebrating success.

Bogaard’s Speech kept that theme going. I’m glad to hear that the city is doing well financially. With the passing of the first balanced budget since 2008, we have become a role model for other cities. It shows that this recession is turning around and most of us will soon be able to get back on our feet. It is great that now the city is saving money, we will be able to put money into community projects to help better the city even more. It is great to hear that businesses are beginning to relocate into our area. It is great to know that our Mayor wants to bring more jobs into our city. With the Gold Line extension bridge completed, and the extension itself near completion, there is a great opportunity for our city to bring in people from the all over to help support our local businesses. Not to mention the Rose bowl renovations which will be completed in time to host next year’s 100th Rose Bowl game and National Championship. It is great for our City to be put yet again on the national stage, and with these events, we will be able to bring in even more revenue.

Bogaard set out what Economic Development Strategic Plan Task Force stated as a theme for the next year being the development and support of PUSD. Our school is in pretty bad shape, and I’m glad that the city is planning to help out our schools. My sport (swimming) and being a student athlete is very important to me, and with the schools in the shape they are, there is a major possibility that my sport will be cut. I believe PHS is the premier High School in Pasadena and for it not to have sports would cause the whole culture which is PHS to deteriorate. I’m glad the City is investing into a brighter future for PHS. He also stated as a goal to improve upon parking. On a personal note, I find it very hard to find parking. I am glad Bogaard is tackling this issue, which will not only make it easier for me to travel around Pasadena, but everyone as well.

The night showed me what Pasadena truly is. It showed me that Pasadena is a city for people to find a bright future and receive a great education. Pasadena is an example of great economic stability. Pasadena is a city of great leadership. Pasadena is a city of innovation and technology. Most importantly, Pasadena is a city of success.