Junior Staff

Advocacy & Policy Junior Staff

headshot of policy leadership associate JJ Hadley against a blue backdrop
J.J. Hadley (they/them)
Policy Leadership

JJ Hadley is attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Cambridge for an associates in Environmental Science. They are currently the President of their Student Senate. 
 
They became involved in the Events Planning Committee at the end of their first semester at the college and has become progressively more involved including being a part of separating Student Senate at their campus, which had not had one in several years. 
 
JJ has been married to their wonderful spouse Jordan for 5 years. They have a wonderful little spoiled dog named Bella (Be-ya) who they adopted from Mexico. JJ enjoys reading books, spending time in nature and discovering new hobbies and crafts.
Danielle Miller attends Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and is pursuing a degree in Human Services with a focus on Chemical Dependency where she is completing the requirements to become a Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LADC). She serves as the Student Senate President and is also a Regional Officer for the MinnKota Region of PTK, the president of the Human Services Club, and the treasurer of Alpha Phi Upsilon. 
 
Danielle first became interested in the field of Human Services through her own experiences navigating recovery, community support systems, and the challenges faced by people seeking help. Her lived experience fuels her commitment to harm reduction, dignity centered care, and the power of storytelling as a tool for change.
 
Danielle plans to continue her education by completing her BSW and MSW before pursuing a JD, with the goal of advancing harm reduction policy and expanding recovery oriented services across Minnesota. She hopes to use her education and advocacy work to ensure students feel seen, heard, and valued in their own journeys.
headshot of danielle miller, advocacy storytelling associate against red/copper brick
Danielle Miller (she/her)
Advocacy Storytelling 

headshot of tamisha williams against copper/red brick
Tamisha Williams (she/her)
Policy Communications 

Tamisha Williams is a student at Saint Paul College pursuing an Associate of Arts degree and serves as a Policy Communications Associate with LeadMN. She is passionate about making complex issues easier for students to understand and creating opportunities for students to share their experiences and have their voices heard. Through her work with LeadMN, Tamisha supports student outreach, storytelling, and communications around issues affecting Minnesota State students.
 
As a first-generation college student, Tamisha understands how challenging it can be to navigate higher education and believes students should feel informed, supported, and empowered to advocate for themselves and their communities. She is especially interested in communications, student engagement, and using storytelling to connect students’ lived experiences with the policies and decisions that affect them.
 
Outside of school and advocacy work, Tamisha enjoys reading, listening to music, meditating, and finding new ways to learn and grow.

Communications Junior Staff

Christian Marshall attends Century College where he is the current Student Senate president and in the CIS program, after which he plans on pursuing his Bachelors/Masters in cybersecurity. 

Christian first became interested in Student Senate from his friend. She was showing improvement in her speaking abilities and leadership roles and attributed it to gaining life experience from her vice president role of senate. Christian applied for senate and was selected by students and staff at Century College.

Christian is often one to take on new roles and learn from new experiences. He is often not afraid to put himself in new experiences in professional settings and adapt/learn from them. He is excited to be taking on this new role as a Website Operations Associate with LeadMN.  

photo of christian marshall against red/copper brick
Christian Marshall (he/him)
Website Operations

photo of olivia small, video production associate against red/copper brick
Olivia Small (she/her)
Video Production

Olivia Small attends Dakota County Technical College and is pursuing a degree in Graphic Design. After graduating with honors from Farmington High School in 2026, she joined LeadMN as junior staff and is the current Video Production Associate.
 
Olivia has a history of being involved in student advocacy at different levels, being a policy debater of three years and the captain of Farmington’s speech team, covering a variety of different topics.
 
She is very passionate about advocacy and working with local communities and state and federal governments to help better represent students and the people of Minnesota. 
 
Olivia comes from a family of four, with a younger sister. In addition to working as a graphic designer and jewelry maker, she spends her free time reading, crocheting and cooking. 

Candace Vogel is a current Software Development major at Minneapolis College. She is a former student leader as Computer Club President, and enjoys bringing students together to learn about tech.

She is passionate about students getting the most out of their education, learning outside the classroom, and supporting LeadMN’s mission to empower students with leadership and advocacy skills as the Website Operations associate. 

When she’s not working on designing websites, you can find her riding her e-board along the Lake of the Isles and designing fictional islands in her favorite cozy games.

Candace Vogel (she/her)
Website Operations

Xiulin Wang (she/her)
Scholarship Database

XiuLin is an international student at Saint Paul College, where she began her studies in Spring 2022. She is on track to graduate in December with an Associate of Science degree in Management Information Systems.

XiuLin recently began a new role with LeadMN in August, bringing with her a strong academic foundation in database management and a passion for applying her skills in real-world settings. During her time at Saint Paul College, she completed several database management courses with high academic standing, and she looks forward to contributing meaningfully to the LeadMN team. One of the key motivations behind XiuLin’s decision to join LeadMN was the support she received through the LeadMN Leadership Scholarship in Fall 2023. This scholarship not only helped her overcome financial challenges but also reinforced her confidence and commitment to leadership and community involvement.

In 2022–2023, she volunteered with Global Minnesota, where she deepened her engagement in cross-cultural initiatives. Now, she is excited to continue growing professionally and personally through her work with LeadMN.

System Advocates

Lia Alvarez, System Advocate for Region 6 at LeadMN, is passionate about making sure students feel seen, heard, and supported as they find their own path to success. Lia graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2025 with a degree in Psychology and is currently a student at Minneapolis College, where she is pursuing a Diploma in Early Childhood Education.
 
As a first-generation college student and an immigrant from Cuba, Lia understands how meaningful representation, mentorship, and access to resources can be throughout a student’s educational journey. Her experiences inspired her to become involved with LeadMN and advocate for accessible, quality, and affordable public higher education, especially for first-generation students and students from historically underrepresented communities.
 
During her time at the University of St. Thomas, Lia served as a First-Year Experience Mentor, supporting students as they transitioned into college. She also served as a Linkage Mentor for first-generation BIPOC students, helping them build connections, navigate campus resources, and find a sense of belonging. These experiences strengthened her passion for student advocacy, leadership, and creating spaces where students feel heard and empowered.
 
Lia is also passionate about children and families and hopes to use her education and experiences to support young children and their families. Outside of school and work, she enjoys volunteering with libraries and after-school programs, where she helps children with homework. She is also a proud daughter and sister who values family, community, and giving back to others.
photo of lia alvarez, system advocate, standing in front of trees and greenery
Lia Alvarez (she/her/ella)
System Advocate

Ellan Fischer (she/her)
System Advocate

Ellan Fischer is a PSEO student attending Ridgewater College in Willmar. She is currently pursuing a associate degree in Liberal Arts and serves as the Student Senate President on campus. As a student leader, she is passionate about being a voice for students at Ridgewater and across Minnesota, working to strengthen the two-year college experience through student centered advocacy and collaboration.
 
Within LeadMN her goal is to make higher education accessible to every student, regardless of their background. She is particularly focused on increasing awareness and utilization of the resources available to students, ensuring that support services are not only accessible but also widely known and effectively used.
 
In her free time, Ellan enjoys playing tennis, quilting, and spending time outdoors, whether with friends or while meeting new people. 
Amelia Johnson attends South Central College in North Mankato in the Biology Transfer Pathway. Amelia is excited to serve as a System Advocate, while this is their first year working with Leadmn they are excited to dive into the important work of advocating for students across the state. Amelia has also been involved in Student Senate and is the current Vice President for the North Mankato campus. Amelia has also founded the Future Medical Professionals club. Amelia graduated from East High School in Mankato in 2024 and took a short break before continuing education.
 
Amelia first became aware of Student Senate and LeadMN opportunities through friends. After attending Senate meetings and Advocacy Day, Amelia was able to see the positive impact it had on the students. Amelia chose to seek out more opportunities in both Student Senate and LeadMN due to their personal goal to continue helping others achieve their goals and being able to support them.
Amelia Johnson (she/they)
System Advocate

Student Advocates

Aketzally Alvarado (she/her)
Student Advocate, Region 6

Aketzally is a student at Saint Paul College and is pursing an Associate of Arts Degree, with a focus on Communication Studies. Her passion for storytelling shows through her multimedia experience in broadcasting, print, and video. They have bylines in news outlets like the StarTribune, Minnesota Reformer, and more. 
 
For Aketzally, storytelling plays a large part in their advocacy. She often reports on community issues and stories because she believes that big changes start locally. As a first generation student she knows first hand the need for improvement in the educational institutions within Minnesota. Through her work with LeadMN she hopes to help lead that change. 
Cat Jewison (she/they)
Student Advocate, Region 3

Cat Jewison is currently attending South Central College in North Mankato where she is studying Environmental Science. Cat got involved with LeadMN to help advocate for students across Minnesota.

She believes that education is important for the growth and success for many current/new students, and she understands the need to keep higher education institutions affordable and accessible to all.

Community College has been a big part of Cat’s journey.She has been involved with Student Senate on her campus for two years. In that time, she’s helped establish the Basic Needs Committee, acted as Treasurer and is now Student Senate President. She aims to improve students’ experiences at higher ed institutions. This is Cat’s first year working with LeadMN as a Student Advocate and is excited to see where this year takes her.

Andrea Kimlinger is a student at Hennepin Technical College. Andrea is a passionate advocate for others, supporting students as a whole on their campus and in their community. 

As an advocate for education, Andrea believes in building new opportunities and being a voice for others while helping them become leaders and grow. Andrea is an advocate that creates positive change, protect the rights of others, and amplify voices, so they are heard. Bringing many aspects of strength and protection around diversity and inclusion.She hopes to encourage others to join together to become more than ourselves. 

Andrea is the Region 4 Student Advocate and she hopes to provide support to communities, schools, other Lead MN students and staff, and to influence policymakers to create a more equitable community. 

Andrea Kimlinger (she/her)
Student Advocate, Region 4

Tae Miller (he/they)
Student Advocate, Region 5

Tae Miller currently attends Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota and is pursuing a two-year associate degree in Technical Management.

Tae has been involved in LeadMN for the last 2 years attending many events at the State and Nation’s Capital, learning in workshops, and working to advocate for those who may not be able to be present in the moment.

Tae has previously been in many Student Government and Senate positions, including the IT Coordinator at Minnesota State, Mankato’s Student Government, Treasurer for 2 years at DCTC, and Senate President for half a year at DCTC. He was also the former president of the IT Club and an Ultimate Frisbee Coach in Prior Lake.

Tae is a Type 1 Diabetic who has been advocating his whole life for what has mattered to him, and looks forward to being able to continue advocating for others more with LeadMN.

Juli Mokhanhtha is a student at North Hennepin Community College majoring in Communications. 

She is passionate about building connections and advocating for others on campus and in her community, both in her roles as the Diversity and Equity Coordinator for the North Hennepin Community College Student Senate and as the Region 7 Student Advocate for LeadMN. 

Juli Mokhanhtha (she/her)
Student Advocate, Region 7