Email: info@mascmahs.org
Call Us: 517-327-5315

Virtual Student Legislative Day

legislative day

The Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honor Societies (MASC/MAHS) is excited to announce the 2023 Virtual Student Legislative Day!

Our Virtual Student Legislative Day will take student leaders interested in gaining a better understanding of the inner workings of Government on a full day (virtual) adventure at the State Capitol. This experience aligns with our mission statement and action goals in creating strong student and community leaders.

Date: Wednesday, December 6th
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Your home office, school building or couch (Virtual Event)
Investment:
$25 per person
$350 for a full classroom (max 30 students)

Registration: Registration ends November 30th at 3:00 p.m.Virtual space may be limited and is on a first come, first serve basis.

Agenda At-A-Glance
9:30-10:00 a.m. – Welcome and Overview
10:00-11:00 a.m. – Legislation 101
11:15-12:15 a.m. – Virtual Guided Tour of the Michigan State Capitol Building (and working lunch!)
12:15-12:30 p.m. – Break
12:30-2:00 p.m. – Legislative Panel  (State Senator, Policy Analyst and Grassroots Coordinator, Political Journalist & more!)

  • Legislator Presentation and Q and A
  • Lobbyist Presentation and Q and A
  • Legislative and Campaign Staff Panel and Q and A

2:00-2:30 p.m. – Sit in on a live House of Representatives Session! Moderated by MASSP’s Bob Kefgen for inside analysis and breakdown of action

Great Opportunity to Support your Course Work! 
This one-day workshop will contain a packed day, ensuring that students get the full experience of life in Lansing. The morning kicks off with a welcome and overview of legislative practice with MASSP’s lobbyist, Bob Kefgen (and maybe a few special guests!)

Next, students will be taken on a virtual guided tour of the State Capitol building, reviewing historical features, rooms, items and critical Michigan History.

After the tour, students will have the opportunity to meet with different government officials and staffers to gain a better understanding of their job duties and influence across our state. These meetings will include representation from staffers, lobbyists and legislators!

We will end the day with students having the option of sitting in (virtually) on a live House of Representatives session. This jam-packed agenda serves to provide a well-rounded, exciting and informative day in Lansing.

 

Meet the Legislative Panel 2023

Stephanie O’Dea, K-12 Education Policy Advisor to Gov Whitmer
Stephanie O’Dea brings a wealth of experience from the K-12 education field to her role as Governor Whitmer’s K-12 Education Policy Advisor.  She served for 19 years as a high school teacher, K-12 administrator, and most recently as the Associate Superintendent of Instruction at Montcalm Area Intermediate School District.  She was elected to the General Education Leadership Network (GELN) executive board, serving as the chair from June 2020 until beginning her role in the Governor’s office. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Spring Arbor University, a secondary teaching
certificate, a K-12 administrative certificate and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Michigan- Flint. She resides in Greenville and is the proud parent of three amazing kids.
Asja Jackson, House Democratic Policy Office (staffer)
Asja Jackson is a native of Kentwood, Michigan. She works as a policy advisor with the Michigan House Democratic Caucus, covering Higher Education and Economic Development. Before joining the policy team, Asja worked on the communications team and in a legislative office while getting her law degree. She has a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Aquinas College and a Juris Doctor from West Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. She also serves on the board of Church Builder’s Bible Training Center in Grand Rapids.
Isabel Lohman, Education Reporter with Bridge Magazine
Isabel Lohman is the education reporter at Bridge Michigan, a statewide nonprofit news outlet. Her reporting focuses on PreK-12 education and higher education. She loves visiting schools and analyzing how policies made in Lansing affect students and educators. Previously, she was the children’s issues reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee. There, she reported on the state’s third-largest public school district’s COVID-19 response and how a community copes after losing teenagers to gun violence. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia.
Matt Koleszar, State Representative, District 22

State Rep. Matt Koleszar is serving his third term representing Michigan’s 22nd House District, which includes the cities of Northville and Plymouth, most of Northville and Plymouth Townships, and a portion of Livonia. Matt Koleszar received an undergraduate degree from Saginaw Valley State University before attending Eastern Michigan University, where he received a master’s degree in english studies. Prior to his election, Koleszar worked as a teacher and coach in the Airport Community School District and president of the Airport Education Association in Carleton. Koleszar is committed to securing adequate funding for Michigan’s schools, finding effective solutions to fix the roads, and increasing access to and quality of healthcare in the state.

Stephanie Glidden, Partner, Capitol Services Inc. (lobbyist)

Stephanie Glidden has over a decade of experience in public policy, legislative and electoral advocacy, communications, and government operations. Stephanie has served in key staff roles in both the Michigan Senate and House and has served in multiple executive leadership roles for the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

Prior to serving at the State, Stephanie was the Director of Legislative Affairs at the Michigan AFL-CIO and has managed strategy and tactics for numerous political campaigns across Michigan. She has broad experience in employment and labor law, unemployment insurance, public benefits, retirement, workforce and economic development, talent and place making, manufacturing, labor market economics and data analysis, environmental and natural resource policy.

Jaime Reimers, Caucas Services Director, Michigan State Democrats 

Jaime Reimers has been working in state legislative politics for more than a decade, focusing her efforts on electing and protecting Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate chambers in Michigan, Colorado and Virginia. She currently serves as the Caucus Services Director for the MI Senate Democratic Caucus, returning to her home state to work with the first Democratic Majority in her lifetime and the first ever woman majority leader in Michigan’s history.

Her previous positions include: executive director of the Virginia House Democrats, executive director of the Colorado Democratic Senate Campaign Fund, campaign manager for Winnie Brinks for Senate (2018), Deputy Director of Constituent Outreach for the MI Senate Democrats, senior organizer for the MI House Democratic Caucus, and special projects director for John Dingell for Congress (2012).

Welcome to your Virtual Conference Experience!

The following video tutorial covers our digital conference platform, Zoom Events. This brief overview showcases how to navigate the conference platform and some of what you can expect when registering for a digital conference. This platform allows our participants to view a full agenda, select sessions of interest, download handouts and resources and allows dedicated space for networking!