February 20, 2024
Social transformation studies students named Loud Light Fellows
Two K-State students have been named Loud Light Fellows for this spring’s legislative session. Anna Van Brunt is a May 2023 social transformation studies graduate who is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health, and Campbell McNorton is a sophomore social transformation studies major who is also pursuing the Global Food Systems Leadership secondary major.
Loud Light is a nonprofit organization based in Topeka that seeks to increase civic participation among youth in Kansas. Loud Light Fellowships offer college students from across the state the opportunity to learn about this year's legislative session, how the public policy process works, what policies the Legislature is passing, and what informs legislators’ decisions.
“This internship with Loud Light is furthering my understanding of the legislative process and what it means to be a civically engaged student in Kansas,” said McNorton. “I am particularly passionate about food justice, LGBTQ+ and voting rights. With the help of the Loud Light internship, I have learned more about bills that will affect all Kansans and submitted testimony to ensure my voice is heard. As the internship continues, I am excited to advance my understanding of local politics and promote civic engagement.”
The social transformation studies department offers students a base of knowledge and skills that enables them to launch and sustain careers devoted to tackling some of the most pressing social issues facing Kansans and Americans more broadly, including health disparities, food insecurity, gender violence, and racial and economic inequalities.
“In my current role as a Program and Policy Specialist at the Jackson County health department and in my graduate studies, I am constantly finding areas where I am able to lean into the knowledge I gained as an STRAN major to think more critically about the way the systems we interact with each day are perpetuating oppression,” said VanBrunt. “I am excited to explore these topics on a deeper level through my current fellowship with Loud Light by looking at policy and the legislative process at the state level and reflecting on how these decisions affect us all.”
“In addition to building applied learning experiences into the curriculum of the STRAN major, we encourage students to seek out internships or fellowships that give them the opportunity to develop and hone their change-making skills in the areas that they’re passionate about,” said Christie Launius, interim head of social transformation studies. “We’re thrilled that Anna and Campbell sought out and were selected for the Loud Light fellowship, and hope that they’ll inspire other K-State students to apply as well.”