Maggie Nead named LeadMN Intern of the Year
Cecilia Damian, a student at Inver Hills Community College, was elected vice president of LeadMN, formerly the Minnesota State College Student Association (MSCSA), during the Spring General Assembly at the Breezy Point Resort April 21–23, 2017. Maggie Nead, an Inver PSEO student earning her A.A. degree, was honored as the LeadMN Intern of the Year.
“I will be vice president of LeadMN for this upcoming school year,” Cecilia said. “My role within the organization will be campus outreach as well as working on the policy side of things. I really enjoyed campaigning for this position. I got to meet a lot of students and also created some great friendships. I am very excited and thrilled that my peers believe that I will be the best person for the position.”
Inver Hills received a Star Campus award. The Star Campus initiative was created to recognize the work of LeadMN’s most active student senates. Jacob Richter, a student in the program, was elected as the Metro-South Platform Committee alternate. Metro-South is one of 10 LeadMN regions in Minnesota. Representatives serve on the LeadMN Governing Council and Platform Committee.
More about Cecilia…

Cecilia is looking to pursue a career in campaign work, ultimately as the campaign manager for a presidential candidate and then later as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
She served as a LeadMN intern and participated in Advocacy Day, speaking to her Minnesota representative and the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee about issues important to college students. She has volunteered on numerous political campaigns, gaining experience that has taught her how to get organized and stay organized.
Cecilia has worked for her family’s bar, restaurant and banquet hall for many years, learning how to exceed customer expectations while preparing for the unexpected. She ran for LeadMN VP because she is passionate about making sure two-year community and technical colleges are a priority in Minnesota. She believes two-year colleges should be affordable for all students. In her new role, she will work to make that happen.
“I could not be more proud of both Maggie and Cecilia. They have been fantastic leaders at Inver Hills Community College and at LeadMN, advocating for students. Both women are extremely passionate and will continue to impact higher education in a positive way. I am excited to see what they both will accomplish in the coming years and feel grateful to be a part of their journey.”
— Nicole Meulemans, Inver Hills Student Life Director
LeadMN Intern of the Year: Maggie Nead

“I have been one of the Equity and Inclusion interns for LeadMN for almost a year now,” Maggie said. “I have mainly focused on internal curriculum and programming. I feel very honored to be the first ever Intern of the Year Award recipient. I work with some of the most incredible, kind, passionate and dedicated individuals, and I feel very lucky to be able to learn from them on a daily basis. Working with LeadMN has been such an amazing opportunity for me to grow and I have learned so much. I feel very humbled to receive an award for something that I put a lot of heart into and I am very grateful to everyone who helped me along the way.”
The LeadMN Intern of the Year goes to a student who embodies the LeadMN spirit in every aspect of their life. They go above and beyond their duties as an intern to create real and lasting change within the organization.
— LeadMN
You can learn more about Maggie by reading “PSEO Student Gets Flying Start at College” on Inver Hills News.
Spring General Assembly 2017 ¹
¹ Photos above courtesy of Maggie NeadTo learn more about Student Life at Inver Hills as well as LeadMN, contact:
Nicole Meulemans
Director of Student Life and Activities
651-450-3311
Nicki Bottko
Associate Director of Student Life
651-450-3530
Jenni Yamada
Student Life Activities Coordinator
651-450-3754