Grand Rapids — If there’s an opportunity to lead, represent or advocate, chances are Odon Kiara has taken advantage of it.
Odon, a Grand Rapids Public Museum High School senior and aspiring attorney, immigrated with his family to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 7.
He’s always been interested in the power of a community to unite and effect positive change in the world, and since first arriving in Grand Rapids about a decade ago, he’s built up quite the résumé, including work at the district, city and national levels.
What drives him is a desire to advocate for others, balance the scales, and give back to the community that’s been so welcoming to him.
“I think advocacy’s just the main thing for me,” Odon said. “We had a lot of people advocate for our family, whether that’s getting us resources or getting us assimilated to the United States. Advocacy’s just a way that I want to give back to my community, and advocacy is what really pushed me into the law field.”
‘When you serve someone, they feel so grateful and appreciative of your service to them that it encourages them to serve someone else. … And then that kind of makes them a leader too.’
— senior Odon Kiara
Freshly back from the YMCA Youth in Government’s Conference on National Affairs, where a mock proposal to amend the Constitution to allow immigrants to run for president earned him the title of Michigan’s Outstanding Statesman, Odon chatted with SNN about leadership, and his passion for civic involvement.
“Leadership, to me, means service,” he said. “Leadership means being with people, and being alongside them in whatever you’re advocating for. … Because one person cannot change the world; one person cannot fix everything that’s wrong.”
What can change the world, Odon said, is setting an example for others to follow.
“It creates a cycle where, when you serve someone, they feel so grateful and appreciative of your service to them that it encourages them to serve someone else. … And then kind of makes them a leader too,” he said. “It makes a better community for everyone, altogether.”
An Impressive Public Service Record
In addition to his work with YMCA Youth in Government, Odon’s impressive list of extracurriculars includes work with the Student Association for Leadership and Transformation; the GRPS Superintendent’s Scholar Advisory Council; the Grand Rapids Mayor’s Youth Council; an internship with U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten’s Democracy Summer program, and more.
He said SALT allowed him to help his fellow students bring about positive change within GRPS, while the Superintendent’s Advisory Council allowed him to learn about decisions being made at the district level and to bring up issues he saw in school.
During his two years on Mayor’s Youth Council, Odon has learned about how city governments operate, how cities are funded, and how municipalities work to keep people engaged with local issues.
“It’s honestly been a great experience, learning more about opportunities to be more of a leader in my local community,” Odon said. “It opened my eyes to see that it’s not impossible to make an impact with my community.”
The internship with Scholten, for which Odon’s done canvassing and general voter outreach, sparked his interest because of the potential to help people make informed decisions when they cast their ballots.
“There are people that don’t care about politics, and then they either don’t vote, which hurts them, or they vote without information, so they’re making decisions that they might later on regret,” Odon mused. “I want to be the person that goes out and educates people. I’m not telling you who to vote for, but I want you to be educated so that when you’re making your vote, you have all the knowledge you need to know whether it’s a good decision for you or not a good decision for you.”
A major throughline that connects all of Odon’s activities is the amplification of young people’s voices.
“It feels as though adults don’t really hear out youth voices,” he said. “We experience the world along with adults, and we have experiences and perspectives that they don’t always completely understand. (My work) allows me to give my youth perspective to these adults.
“At the end of the day, they’re the decision-makers. They’re going to make the decisions that best suit them. But that’s why it motivates me more to give my authentic youth experience and perspective. It’s like a missing piece that helps them make decisions that not only impact them beneficially but also benefits the youth, because we’re also experiencing the crazy world around us.”
‘An impactful and effective leader’
Odon’s many accomplishments have made him something of a celebrity within GRPS. Even in the middle of summer, walking into a mostly empty school, he’s greeted with hugs and fist bumps from people in the front office, who excitedly tell him where they last saw his picture — in a newspaper or on TV or in a congratulatory press release from the district.
One administrator who’s firmly in his corner is Museum High School Principal Tamika Henry, who has nothing but great things to say about Odon.
“What makes (Odon) such a special scholar and person is his willingness not only to listen to others, but also to thoughtfully reflect on what he has heard and apply it in meaningful ways,” Henry said. “He possesses a genuine hunger not just for information, but for the process of transforming that information into knowledge, and allowing that knowledge to guide his decisions with wisdom. This ability to learn, reflect and grow is the foundation of an impactful and effective leader.”
