On Thursday, September 24th, Mr. Steven R. Mullins, Zoning Commissioner and Justice of the Peace of West Haven, spoke to the journalism class at Naugatuck High School.  Although Mr. Mullins spoke quite a bit about his political experiences and views, he inspired students with his outlook on life and family.

Mr. Mullins has two children, Nora who is 11 and Christian who is 8.  He has been married to his wife, Jean Mullins, for 13 years.

When asked if he had plans for running for mayor of West Haven again in the future, he responded by saying that he intends to, but not for a few years.  “I am going to wait until my children are graduated or in high school,” Mr. Mullins stated.  He explained the toll that running for mayor and other political positions has taken on his family, and how he wants to spend as much quality time as he can with his children in the coming years.

In addition to Mullins’s immediate family, his extended family also plays an important role in his life.  Mr. Mullins shared how he took on his great great grandfather’s first name as his middle name to honor him.  He was inspired by the fact that although his great great grandfather was not allowed to vote because of his color, many white politicians at the time would come to him to talk about the issues at the time because “he knew and understood them better than they did.”

Steven Mullins was also asked about what has inspired him to achieve as much as he has throughout his life.  His response was that he has always lived with the mindset that “you can’t be afraid to fail.”  Mullins expressed his opinion that “failing is not the worst thing to happen in the world.”  He made it clear that he is a strong believer of always trying, no matter the circumstances.  He believes that if you fail, that failure will only better you in the future. This mindset is inspirational in itself.