Vice President Kamala Harris’s childhood friend, Wanda Kagan, recently shared a heartfelt story about how their friendship during high school not only shaped her life but also played a pivotal role in Harris’s career path.
The two met at the age of 13 at a Black cultural event in Montreal and formed a tight bond while attending Westmount High School.
Hong’s candid reflection on their friendship, which she shared in Oprah Daily‘s Catherine Hong, provides a glimpse into the compassion and leadership qualities Harris exhibited long before entering politics.
Empathic From The Start
Hong recalls Harris as thoughtful and empathetic from the start. During their time at school, Harris would regularly share her packed lunch with Hong, who came from a financially struggling household.
The friendship deepened through shared experiences like starting a dance troupe together, but it was Harris’s perceptiveness that changed Hong’s life forever.
Senior Year Confidante
In their senior year, Hong confided in Harris about the abuse she was facing at home. Without hesitation, Harris took immediate action, calling her mother and bringing Hong into their home.
Harris’s mother, Shyamala, welcomed Hong as one of her own, providing a safe and supportive environment during a time of crisis.
Hong later discovered that her experience inspired Harris’s decision to become a prosecutor, specifically to protect vulnerable women and children.
This revelation, shared years later after they reconnected, highlights the profound impact their friendship had on both women’s lives.
Today, as Harris is running for one of the highest offices in the country, Hong continues to admire her friend’s dedication to fighting for justice, a value she had already demonstrated decades earlier as a teenager.
