Kathleen Walsh, a sixth-grader at Visitation Catholic School, arrived in style at Elmhurst City Hall Monday.

She traveled in a police cruiser, accompanied by Mayor Pete DiCianni and Police Chief Steven Neubauer. That was after mayor and police chief served a McDonald’s breakfast to her and all her classmates at her school and before they took her on a personal tour of city hall.

Walsh, 11, earned these perks, which also included a recent trip to Washington D.C., a $1,000 scholarship to Elmhurst College and a membership in the Elmhurst YMCA, after winning a citywide essay contest that named her Mayor for the Day.

Walsh’s essay stood out because of an idea she suggested that Elmhurst residents could earn good citizen points by helping their neighbors. Those points, she wrote, could then be redeemed at local businesses for products or services.

“You could get, like, a meal at a restaurant,” she said, adding that she came up with the idea because she has an elderly neighbor whom she helps out by taking her garbage cans to the curb.

One of Walsh’s duties as Mayor for the Day was to preside over the city council meeting Monday. She didn’t yawn once during the meeting that covered flooding issues and construction of a cellular tower and crept past 9:30 p.m.

“I want to thank Mayor Walsh for how well she did tonight,” said Ald. Michael Bram. “I don’t know if it’s past your bedtime, but it’s past mine.”

Walsh said the best part of being mayor was having breakfast with her classmates.

The essay contest was sponsored by the Elmhurst Character Counts program. The second runner up in the contest was Callie Pecoraro, who served as deputy mayor, and won a $500 scholarship.

Despite the fun she had as Mayor, Walsh said a political career is probably not in her future.

“I kind of want to be a chef,” she said.