ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
There have been multiple Liberal High School alumni who have gone on to receive honors after graduation and recently, another one added to the list.
Earlier this month, it was announced Brady Kappelmann was elected as the Kansas State University (KSU) student body president. As Kappelmann tells it, he has been busy during his time at college before hitting the campaign trail.
“I started at KSU in August 2022, so I'm in my junior year, and so far, I've been involved in FarmHouse Fraternity, the Student Government Association (SGA), Sales Ambassadors, and Connected 'Cats, among many others,” Kappelmann said. “We began campaigning at the beginning of the semester back in January, and then the actual election took place March 4 and 5, and then we found out we won March 6. I'd prayed about it a lot and had also consulted multiple friends who had been involved in the student government, so it wasn't really something I took lightly. But the people who had served as the student body president have such a unique platform to be able to give back to the college, and I really believe K-State has given me so, so much, and I want to be able to use this role as a way to give back to the students and the college that's helped me grow so much and helped me gain so many connections.”
Upon hearing he and his team had been victorious, Kappelmann said he was very happy.
“It was a really special feeling to officially win, this is a goal I've had since before I even got to campus. I served as the Student Council president my senior year at Liberal High School, and I knew I wanted to serve as the student body president when I got to K-State,” Kappelmann said. “It was really special, we had a watch party with everyone who worked on the campaign team, so we got to share that moment with a bunch of our support system. It's really a blessing to be able see not only how God's worked through me but also the amazing relationships I've gotten to build while I've been on campus. There were definitely a lot of different feelings, and I just feel really happy.”
And there will be no time to waste, Kappelmann said.
“One of the more immediate things we're working on right now is a resolution we hope to put through the Student Senate called the Communications Agency,” Kappelmann said. “This would be a group of students created through our student government to help with our communications within the SGA. We owe it to our student body to be as transparent as possible, and I think a big way to do that is through using social media and other similar media. This group would be students who are capturing photos and videos from SGA and creating content we would be able to share with the student body. One of the most important aspects with any level of government is, if we're actually doing our jobs and serving the student body, we owe it to them to share what all we're doing. This agency would allow more students to be involved, and the more students involved in SGA as a whole, the better, and it will also help everyone be more aware of what the student government is doing for them.”
Another major goal, Kappelmann said, is to help increase communication and outreach, particularly with prospective students.
“Something my running mate and I are particularly passionate about is focusing on increasing enrollment. One of the ways we want to do that is by looking at different ways to connect with prospective students,” Kappelman said. “Last March, I actually got to travel back to Liberal with other K-State leaders, and one of the biggest takeaways for me was having Liberal people see someone from their community be part of such a big project, because seeing someone from your own community really resonates and helps college feel much more attainable. That's something I've especially noticed from Western Kansas, because it can feel a lot harder wanting to go to school, especially if you're a first-generation student or you don't know anyone else who went to K-State. It can seem really out of reach, especially since Liberal is rather geographically isolated. I feel like focusing on improving those connections is something we can take action on and something that can really help not only increase enrollment here at the school, but also make college more attainable for students and help them realize college isn't as out of reach as they might think it is.”
Kappelmann added he is also excited to continue working with the KSU student body.
“Something else I'm really excited about is how many different students and groups I'll get the chance to work with. We started campaigning back in September, so it's been a long process, and we got to meet a lot of students and work with a lot of groups through the campaign trail either as part of our team or just getting feedback about what was going on on campus,” Kappelmann said. “It was really special getting to know all of those people, and everyone has their own unique experience(s) of K-State, and it's great hearing all of those different stories. Through student government and through this new role as the student body president, it's my responsibility to advocate for all students, so I'm excited to continue learning and hearing everyone's experience(s).”
Overall, Kappelmann said, he is very honored to have been elected, and he is ready to get to work.
“I'm very proud to be from Liberal, and anytime I get to talk up Liberal or Pancake Day or anything else from home, it's always a great conversation. The number of times I've explained Pancake Day to people in just the past couple weeks has been crazy, and I now have my own 'SparkNotes' version I can give to people if they ask about it,” Kappelmann said with a chuckle. “It's great being able to share what my community has taught me, and something that's really stuck with me is how Liberal is such a cool place to come from since we're so tight-knit and everyone does their part to make the community great. That's something I've tried to carry with me here in terms of that more small-town feel and the way I grew up, because growing up in Liberal really shaped the way I view community and other interactions. I'm looking forward to continuing being able to serve and help make the KSU campus better in any way I can. We have great people working in the student government and other areas already, and I know they want the same thing. I’m excited to get to work.”
