David Mesta - Vice President


What progress have you made on your Cabinet duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

Axel and I met with the chancellors at the beginning of the month. Held a PC meeting and met with PC members to connect and help with any questions. Traveled to Hennepin Tech and RCTC to award the Hunger Free Campus award. Attended academic affairs and policy council meeting. And was on a student transfer panel on MN office of higher Ed talking about my transfer experience.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

I have attended both the Northern and Southern Regional Meetings and two Hunger Free Campus ceremonies to talk with with students, build connections, and promote the LeadMN Discord and the January conference.

Outline your biggest achievement this month?

This month my achievements have been traveling to campuses for regional meetings and HFC ceremonies and building connections with students to get more involved and also getting PC to be more active.

Ali Tomashek - Public Relations Coordinator


What progress have you made on your Cabinet duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I have taken minutes at all meetings (cabinet, PC GC), updated the Star Campus Program criteria that campuses have met this year, taken a new instruction video for the Star Campus webpage, participated in a Scholarship Gala committee meeting, attended the Northern Regional conference, and participated in a panel discussion on student voter engagement at the LeadMN Democracy Cup Awards. I have started reviewing leadership scholarships and preparing for the Scholarship Board Committee meeting as well. Marcelus and I brainstormed some new ideas to fundraise for the LeadMN emergency grants and I'm excited to see these ideas come to fruition.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

January conference is going to be here in no time and I'm so excited to see everyone in person again! I attended the Northern Regional Conference in November and this first weekend of December we will be hosting the Governing Council meeting and Metro Regional Meeting at our office in St Paul, and I'm so excited to see these student leaders. The conversations that we have at these events are transformational, inspiring, and motivating. These students remind me why I choose to participate in this advocacy work and I admire when they have the courage to share their stories with us and legislators. Drafting our legislative agenda is our next step and we want to do our best to represent these students. My plan is to be as enthusiastic as possible for the rest of the semester, keep students engaged virtually throughout winter break, and gather as many student stories that we can before January.

Outline your biggest achievement this month?

I had an absolutely wonderful time at the Northern Regional Conference at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. The students were excited to be there, the campus was intriguing and inviting, and the Student Senate advisor even gave out hot cocoa to attendees - what a warm welcome! That was the highlight of my month, but I am also very proud to have participated on the student panel for the Democracy Cup and talk about voter engagement in the student community. MN Secretary of State - Steve Simon spoke about Minnesota's high voter engagement, celebrated the achievement of such high voter turnouts from community college students (Congratulations Inver Hills) and the event was such a success.

Marcelus Ifonlaja - Treasurer


What progress have you made on your Cabinet duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

Im most excited about establishing the LeadMN Fiscal Committee. I finally have a team of folks I am grateful for that can collaborate on these projects with me. We are making plans for fundraising, as well as developing our own understanding of processes so that we can not only run them efficiently but suggest improvements as we go.

We've also had some meaningful conversations at our regional meetings, I appreciated being able to participate as a panelist on the Q&A. I also thoroughly enjoyed the conversations Mameneh facilitated around Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

We're talking about cabinet office hours, where we'd be available virtually on a consistent basis so students have another way to reach us in an informal capacity. I've been having fun on Discord streaming my games there. So far I've gotten one student to join so I'm looking to multiply that a couple times.

Outline your biggest achievement this month?

Establishing a team that's committed to seeing our projects through .

Logan Rempert -  Governing Council Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I have spoke with a select few students from the NE region and helped identify and single out some common issues with how MN North’s merger is going to affect us as students.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

I met with Dr. Raich regarding the implementation of student activity fees on all NHED campuses and I would like to see an open enrollment type system for students to be able to participate in sports that their “home” campus within MN North does not offer.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

I’ve had multiple students display concerns with student life, we are holding a dodgeball tournament this Saturday. We are also holding a clothing drive for the students who cannot afford warm winter clothes. I am hoping to meet with all of the NHED senates before the end of the semester, I will be compiling a list of who is on each senate, and when they are graduating.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

I’m going to sit down with the student services staff and try to inform them of student centered and how to engage with the students and gauge their interest within this program. There is very little knowledge as to what powers and rights Senate actually holds on campus considering the decision making process and impartial displaying of information.

Christina Wiirre - Governing Council Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I have made contact with other students from different campuses.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

Our plan if our campus is able to return to in person learning have a hot chocolate bar and give out incentives for joining. Also to include about being paid.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

Currently our campuses have been advised from President Brimhall and Pat Nordic to alleviate foot traffic at our campuses to go back to e-learning.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

Prior to being advised of reducing foot traffic we had a plan for grocery bag bingo. We do hope to resume come spring semester if allowed due to Covid.

Emily ONeill - Governing Council Alternate

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

Maintained contact with Metro South GC. Attended three GC meetings and voted in the absence of GC. I also attended the metro regional meeting.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

Reached out to students on campus to fill Metro South PC alt seat. Encouraged students to sign up for LeadMN positions. Sent email to David Mesta and GC that Jason Cooke said he is interested.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

Students have been on and off campus, this semester was the first semester with some classes back on campus at Inver Hills since Covid began in 2020. Students are doing their best to hang in there and adjust to the uncertainties with Covid. Inver Hills won the Democracy Cup for the top in voter turnout for community colleges in the nation, which was an awesome accomplishment. South Central colleges are doing trivia games with students and students win prizes from Amazon are mailed directly to students homes. They are also doing a campus “build a bear” where the stuffing and material is mailed out to students. Inver Hills hosted a campus hike this fall.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

Keep reaching out to students and let the know all what LeadMN does and how they can get involved to advocate for students. I also plan to let students know about the equity campaign that meets on Fridays. As a TRIO mentor I plan to talk about LeadMN in that role as well to let TRiO students know about LeadMN. I also heard at the regional meeting today that one thing South Central does is has events with food, and then uses those events to talk about senate. Rather than have senate-sponsored events which could sound intimidating. This is a different approach to get engagement which I will bring up to the at the next senate meeting.

Caledon Johnston - Platform Committee Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

The current progress I have made with the duties as have been to submit the leadership report for November 2021, to schedule a 1:1 meeting with the LeadMN Vice President and attend the November Regional Conference. I am now officially elected in as the PC Southeast Representative.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

What I have been able to do so far was to learn more about LeadMN and my position as a PC at the November Regional Meeting, as well as meet others from the Southern Region including a couple of students from the Southeast Region. I was able to connect with the GC as well and have gotten an update on being able to connect with the campuses in our region. This month I plan on contacting the student senate presidents of the region, and to ask for student stories to submit to LeadMN. I also want to see if LeadMN can do a campus visit before the end of the semester to a college in the region. I also plan in January to attend the leadership conference, as well as submit my own student story.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

Currently I have no update on any campuses in the region, as I will need to contact them this month to get an update now that I have the contact information available.

MSCS is finishing up the semester, no major events are scheduled before hand since finals will be the next couple of weeks and that is the current majority focus of the students.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

As of right now, I have not been able to engage or interact with students across the southeast region, but as mentioned in the previous topic I will be looking to contact the student senate presidents of the region to get in contact with students as well as hopefully schedule a campus visit with LeadMN.

Chelsea Birasa - Platform Committee Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I attended the Northern Regional meeting where by I was able to learn more about student's concerns around the region. I have been encouraging students to share their stories and have got some students interested in sharing their stories which can be used for student stories annual report.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

Encouraged students to share their stories, sharing the resources available to students through LeadMN such as scholarships, leadership positions, internships etc.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

MState Moorhead Campus has held their first mental health event in person and moving forward will possibly be having them virtually as well.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

Encouraged students to share their stories, sharing the resources available to students through LeadMN such as scholarships, leadership positions, internships etc.

Ashley Hawker - Platform Committee Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

None at the moment.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

To get more people into the Discord and invite more students to the LeadMN events, get the word out about LeadMN.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

Metro regional meeting and southern regional meeting happened and not a lot of people from metro south were at the southern meeting.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

I have been building relationships with campuses and getting to know one another, I have been going to Senate meetings from the metro south schools, and been trying to contact Normandale and DCTC.

Madeline Copeman - Platform Committee Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I have been reaching out to students and have gathered a few testimonials.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

We are FINALLY getting a table up in the school library to show what opportunities are available.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

We recently had the regional meetings where we came together and discussed how to be better student leaders, more about Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and the impact COVID 19 is having on our communities.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

I am always reaching out. Being part of the student senate on campus helps with that.

Amona Donald - Platform Committee Representative

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I attended the MetroWest Regional meeting which was incredibly helpful in learning about projects and events we could do at Minneapolis College. I also got the contact info of the Senate Pres for one of the colleges under MetroWest.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

I have been talking about LeadMN in my classes and even got a student from my public speaking class to join senate and then also join the past LeadMN conference.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

Currently, we are working with the sustainability committee to come up with projects, we are also working on a Healing and Equity program that will lead Minneapolis College to become an anti - racist institution (this program is led by the Presidents Council).

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

We are going to take the ideas we got from the Regional Meeting and try and apply that to our campus to get more students involved. Ideas like, the weekly kahoot/trivia where a prize can be won and it keeps community thriving.

John Runningen - Presidents' Group Chair

What progress have you made on your GC or PC duties as outlined in the LeadMN bylaws?

I have worked on implementing our presidents group to discord for communication like voted on during our September meeting.

What have you done or what is your plan to get students more involved with LeadMN?

I am planning on getting the group involved on discord so we have a communication chain other than email.

What is happening on the campuses in your region?

Most campuses are holding regular events, the main focus for events have been mental health events. One issue that I have seen occurring at most campuses not just in this region is recruitment. A lot of senates are struggling with numbers which leads to difficulties running a successful senate.

What are you doing to help get new students involved?

When running recruitment events I also discuss LeadMN with them. Also have put out advertising from LeadMN and our senate around the campus.