As a parent with children in Portland schools, I’m voting for Marpheen Chann for City Council District 5. He went to Portland schools and knows how important education is, as the first of his family to graduate from college (the University of Southern Maine) and earn a law degree (the Maine School of Law).

My children go to Lincoln Middle School and The Morrison Center, and I’m completing my master’s in occupational therapy at USM, where Marpheen graduated from in 2014.

Marpheen believes the city can build a better relationship with our universities by creating a city internship program to help students get real-world experience before graduation. He also wants to pioneer hubs and incubators that can help spur innovation and high-tech jobs right here in Portland by borrowing models from Boston and Silicon Valley.

Marpheen has the vision and energy to do this. That’s why I’m voting for him to be the next District 5 city councilor.

Britta Brydon

Portland