Thursday's historic speech by Vice President Kamala Harris is offering many a reason to be extra proud.
Harris, who was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The excitement back in her hometown is palpable.
"I'm feeling overjoyed. I'm feeling very excited," said Carole Porter, a childhood friend of Harris. "Trying not to cry because I want to focus and hear what she has to say because I know it's going to be fabulous and great."
Porter, who grew up in West Berkeley with Harris, said they met at the bus stop in the first grade and were part of the desegregation of Berkeley schools.
Porter lived a few doors down from Harris and rode the school bus with her every day from their homes in the Berkeley flatlands to Thousand Oaks Elementary School in the hills. And Harris has not forgotten how much it all shaped her.
Harris previously said she is a proud product of public education and honored her first grade teacher.
Thousand Oaks Principal Gabriel Fredman said Harris's accomplishments and the way she credits her first grade teacher have been an inspiration both for the staff and for the children. Harris is depicted on a mural the children walk past everyday on campus.
"It's been a real tangible thing that we can point to that what we do makes a difference. Even if you're a first grade teacher, that it matters and you can have a lifelong impact on students," Fredman said. "I think it shows that anything is possible. It doesn't matter where you come from or what yo look like that the world is open to you. Work hard, do your best, and opportunities will present themselves. There is no limit. There is no ceiling."
The Thousand Oaks school community will be glued to their TVs to watch Harris accept the Democratic nomination for president.
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Meanwhile, her childhood friend said she is not surprised the community that raised them produced a leader who may just become the first woman president in United States history.
"I want Kamala to know what I told her when I saw her a couple of weeks ago," Porter said. "I'm very proud of her. I love her. And I'm here always to support her as I've always been."
