Name and pronouns?
Paul Kwon (he/they)
Tell us about yourself: (max. 100 words)
I grew up in Burnaby with all the privileges of an immigrant middle-class Korean-Canadian boy. After college, I tried a few different careers in my 20s before finding my home at UBC.
Like some during the pandemic, I had the opportunity to slow down and re-prioritize my life. I didn’t have a plan, but it resulted in joining the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, lurking on /r antiwork, and volunteering in my community.
The best part of this new balance has been the time and space to hang out with my wife and daughter.
Why are you running for school board? (max. 50 words)
I was inspired by the energy of our city councillor, Allison Gu, and the optimism of my buddy, Spenser Sproul. I want to listen and speak up about the issues facing our Millennial and GenZ parents and its effect on the kids we are raising.
What do you think the current school board has done well? Where has it missed the mark? (max. 50 words)
The pandemic was uncharted territory that the current board navigated it the best they could.
What are the top three issues facing the next school board? (max. 50 words)
Affordable childcare, mental health support and climate change.
How do you plan to address those issues? (max. 150 words)
I will advocate for and support policies that will increase investments in social programs for younger people.
Older parents worked hard and have even helped their adult kids with tuition, down payments and child care. But stagnant wages and increased cost of living on top of mounting dollar and climate debt has led to mental health issues and my own burn out. We’ve done a fantastic job of generating all this wealth, but I feel we are punting the cost of climate change, inequality and affordability to the younger generation.
Whatever your age, I want to listen to your ideas to find answers that work for all generations. We are all in this together.
And just for fun: If you got to spend one full day in school again, what grade would you return to and why? (max. 25 words)
Grade 2 with Miss Devlin on sports day, scanning the scholastic catalogue, and raising salmon roe in the aquarium. Recess was the best.
Where can voters find out more about you? (e.g. social media, website)
