Bellaire will be hosting its City Mayor election later this month, and Councilman Corbett Parker will be one of the running candidates.

On Oct. 22, Councilman Parker, alumni of the school, gave a motivational speech to the Young Republicans club in AP Government teacher Teresa Herrin’s classroom. He touched on topics such as public service, his experience as a councilman, his campaign for city mayor, and gave pointers for youth to pursue their passions.

“Public service provides you with extra opportunities,” Parker said. “It grants you credibility that, unfortunately, some people abuse but can be also used to do a lot of good.”

Parker is adamant about getting involved publicly and in the community. He believes that it is equally important for all members of the community to give their service but he specifically encourages youth to be more active in seizing opportunities and “be the change they want to see”.

“Public service is about being dedicated to serving above yourself,” Parker said. “It’s so important, no matter what you do, to get out there and serve.”

In light of that, he believes that having passion and a real love for your work is the true key to life. Everything else, everybody else’s thoughts and opinions, is secondary.

“The number one thing is taking the narrower way, taking the road less travelled because it’s important to pursue what you’re passionate about as you choose your college, career and family,” Parker said. “It’s important to be passionate.”

Parker especially emphasized traveling abroad and expanding one’s scope of thinking and cultural knowledge. This, he believes, is a crucial aspect in today’s globalized world.

“Be global in your thinking, and get out there,” Parker said, “If you have the opportunity to study abroad, take it, because you learn so much about yourself and the rest of the world, and that becomes a huge competitive advantage.”

Parker is a native Bellaire resident who graduated from the school in 1999 and was a member of the baseball team. After attending law school at Pepperdine University in California and completing a Masters of Law in the Netherlands where he also served as a Rotary Ambassador Scholar, Parker returned to his hometown. He has a deep connection to the city and strives to improve it through service.

“I graduated in ‘99 on the Championship team, “Parker said. “It’s an honor to be able to represent the community that raised me. This is my home town, even though I left for seven years to go to undergraduate and law school. It’s wonderful to come back here and see the need for change and get to be the change that I want to see.”

That change, Parker believes, starts with the younger generation and an outlook for the future.

“Bellaire is not rocket science,” Parker said. “It’s not Republican-Democrat; it’s not rich-poor; it’s just a matter of putting in the passion, the effort, just getting things done and planning for the future not the past. The most important thing, I think, is that our city is stuck in the past and we need to be forward looking for your generation’s future not the former generation’s future.”