提倡参与

想象一下，在一场全球流行病和一场导致校园关闭、给国会造成历史性破坏的derecho风暴期间，你的任务是促进学生们的参与。 

That’s exactly what Emma Lantz ’22 was facing during her tenure as Student Government Association President. 再加上2020年5月乔治·弗洛伊德（George Floyd）去世引发的全国骚乱，艾玛在梅西山大学历史上最独特、最动荡的时期之一担任学生领袖。 

“The way it impacted me was actually seeing it through the lens of other students and advocating for them,” Emma said. “Being able to listen to them and understand what they need. I got to really focus on other people and what they needed at that time.” 

这段经历不仅影响了她在仁慈山的经历，也影响了她的职业道路。 Emma is the 2024 recipient of Mount Mercy’s Certificate of Merit alumni award.  

A Cedar Rapids native, she initially arrived at Mount Mercy with the intent of getting into 社会工作. 

“It was close to home and it just felt comfortable when I visited,” Emma said. “It just felt right.” 

The March for Our Lives campaign in 2018, focused on ending gun violence in the United States, impacted her decision to switch majors to 刑事司法 and 心理学. Emma在她的大学经历中看到学生有发言权，这是她在担任学生会主席期间所倡导的立场。 

“I think helping students get involved is important because it creates a holistic college experience,” Emma said. “学生是强大的，他们有改变的动力。 Some students don’t know it until they get involved and have another experience where it changes their perspective or they get an internship and it changes the direction of where they want to go in life. There’s just so much attached to getting involved and getting engaged.” 

Emma很感激那些影响了她在Mount Mercy的经历的人，其中包括同学Tiara Munoz， Fernanda Hermosillo Arrieta， Dre Lopez Delgado和Jada Veasey； 心理学教授杰琳·沙利文博士和马修·贝贾尔博士； plus, staff members 丹尼尔·路德博士, Dr. Nate Klein, Keesha Burke-Henderson, and Victor Rocha. 她特别指出，多样性、公平和包容性主任查尔斯·r·马丁-斯坦利二世博士对她产生了重大影响。 

“He really gave his time to create an environment at Mount Mercy where students come first,” Emma said. “That really transcended how I work and how I want to live my life and my values.” 

After graduation, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Emma decided on a role with a focus on student engagement. 她曾在伊利诺伊州斯普林菲尔德的伊利诺伊学院担任学生参与项目协调员，后来晋升为学生参与助理主任。 在那个职位上，她的任务是帮助学生接触校园里的各种机会。 

“Students should get involved because it makes them a more well-rounded human who is prepared to take on this world, become a citizen of tomorrow, and impact the world the way it’s needed,” she said. 

"Students should get involved because it makes them a more well-rounded human who is prepared to take on this world, become a citizen of tomorrow, and impact the world the way it’s needed." —艾玛·兰茨22岁

她的部分职责包括监督联谊会生活，在那里，艾玛向学生介绍了有关偏见、心理健康、制作简历以及如何充分经营学生组织的培训。 她与国际学生组织合作，在伊利诺伊大学举办了一场多元文化博览会，庆祝来自世界各地的文化。 她还带回了学生组织奖，表彰学生团体的工作和成就。  

2024年5月，艾玛在她的职业生涯中迈出了下一步，她从伊利诺伊大学辞职，在伊利诺伊大学斯普林菲尔德分校攻读研究生学位。 She accepted a position as a graduate assistant at the Center for State Policy and Leadership, helping to research proposed bills and legislation for the Illinois legislature, while at the same time, pursuing a master’s degree in public policy. 

“I know I want to work with people that are fighting to make a difference in our world,” Emma said. “That’s what I hope to gain from my master’s program.” 

当艾玛继续她的职业道路时，她很感激她在Mount Mercy的经历，她说这帮助她走向了现实世界的成功。 Not surprisingly, she encourages today’s students to be active and involved. 

“You never know the people you’ll meet and what you’ll be able to accomplish, and I think that’s an integral part of the college experience,” she said. “My second piece of advice would be to advocate for yourself. 学生和个人都是强大的，你的经历就是你的真理。 So, what I would tell students is to never be afraid of speaking up and telling admins or staff or faculty what they need to know and how you can be supported, because often times they will figure it out and find ways to support you.”