Student Senators from Iowa Lakes attend legislative seminar
More than 220 Iowa community college students and leaders participated in a Student Legislative Seminar Jan. 24-25 in Des Moines.
This was the 30th year for the event, which is coordinated by the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees.
The seminar focuses on leadership qualities, encouraging students to participate in governance and consider the impact of choices on their lives and future employment.
Session topics included emotional intelligence, dialoguing with legislators, and Iowa’s demographics.
Featured keynote speakers for the seminar included Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who opened the seminar, and House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, who closed the event. Both featured speakers shared their career stories and entered into a dialogue with the students about their careers.
Students from Iowa Lakes included: Derrick Feldhans of Spirit Lake; Kenlee Frank of Greeley, Colo.; Jordyn Howell of Reno, Nev.; Riley Kintzel of Swea City; Ty Kral of Emmetsburg; Kacie Salazar of Bakersfield, Calif.; Kaitlin Walsh of Medford, Wis.; and Kylie Wellard of Yuma, Ariz.
“IACCT’s 30th Student Legislative Seminar had a particular focus on two Iowa leaders who have dedicated their careers to Iowa and who will share good information for our students who live and work in Iowa using the skills and credentials gained in our community colleges,” said IACCT Executive Director MJ Dolan. “The students leave with an understanding of the advocacy skills and process that can change their lives as well as the lives of their families and ultimately their communities.”
IACCT serves the 15 community colleges of Iowa, which help one in 10 Iowans annually. In the 2015-16 college academic year, community colleges served more than 135,567 credit and more than 240,939 noncredit students with nearly nine million hours of education.
Iowa’s community colleges are the workforce trainers of Iowa, offering a wide variety of short-term and long-term credit and noncredit programs/courses to meet the needs of business and education in their local communities.
During the 2015-16 college academic year, they provided work skills to 98,000 individuals in their Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network, Workforce and Economic Development Fund, GAP Tuition Assistance, and Pathways Academic Career Education programs.
Iowa’s community colleges provide skills and career training that help the state meet the Future Ready Iowa goal of 70 percent of Iowans having a post high school credential by 2025.
For More Information:
Bill Lapczenski, student senate advisor in Emmetsburg, at 712-852-5207
Katie Larson, student senate advisor in Estherville at 712-362-8367
