A 19-year-old woman has just been sworn in to the Walnut City Council, making her one of the youngest Asian Americans ever elected to office in the country. While it may come as a surprise to some, those who know her say this is anything but the case.
Kaylee May Law says she will remember this moment for the rest of her life.
“This community raised me and it was amazing,” she said. “I really appreciate this opportunity to give back.”
At 19, Law has already accomplished a lifetime, but she’s far from done.
She graduated at the age of 16 from Mt. San Antonio College and earned three associate degrees there. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University and months ago completed her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Her parents say they knew she had to do more in life when she became bored with schoolwork in high school. They encouraged her to take a course at a community college to see what she thought.
“Pick something fun, I’m thinking ceramics,” said Janel Law, Kaylee’s mother. “She chose logic.”
She says her parents instilled in her the value of education at a young age, and that wisdom is passed down through generations.
“When my grandfather came to the United States, he had a sixth-grade education,” Law said. “Continuing my grandparents’ legacy and all the sacrifices that my grandparents and my parents made, that was very important to me.”
Law had some help running for the council seat and approached her mentor and former council member Eric Ching, who cleared his own seat to run for Congress.
“I looked at her background. When she puts her mind to it, she never gives up,” Ching said. “That’s something I like.”
Although she is excited to get started serving her hometown, Law says her educational pursuits are far from over as she plans her journey to law school.
Nicole Comstock
