Empowering student voices at the REP4 Midwest Regional Summit

"I do feel this experience has elevated my voice and team-building skills," said Sema'Ja Shanks, a student from Muskegon High School. "Since we've been in it, I've learned that you can talk to people without feeling judged. I'm the type of person that doesn't talk unless I know the people. But I actually pitched in this week and made my voice heard, so I feel like in the future I can definitely be outspoken when I need to be."

President Philomena V. Mantella spoke at lunch both days of the summit, thanking students for participating and inviting them to ask her questions about Grand Valley and her experience as a university president.

"This is not a program, it's a movement," said Mantella. "REP4 should not be a revolutionary concept. It's a simple concept that says, we've got to listen to our students. We've got to look at education in the way you want to experience it. So we are creating a space where we invite students before they get to college to talk about the ways that education could improve. Our intention is also to help you build your own skills, your own journey, your own voice, your own capacity to direct the education that you want."