After his election to the position of Mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia by his fellow city councilors, Satyendra Singh Huja reflects:

“I can’t think of a Sikh guy getting elected in many other communities,” Huja said. “There aren’t many Sikhs in Charlottesville… So I obviously didn’t get elected because of my religion. I got elected because I could be of service.”

This is an important learning.  There is an authenticity in this Sikh man who performed his job for decades in service to his community. He wasn’t elected as a city councilor and then as mayor because he was the only visible Sikh on the ballot, but instead for the quality and tenure of his service to his town.  Certainly, his religious beliefs would have provided him personal motivation, but it was his unapologetic vision and work ethic that led to this achievement.