Tabor College?s newly elected Student Senate president, Andrew Wiens, has been selected by Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback to be the representative college student from the Sunflower State at the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship Student Congress June 20-27, in Lexington, Ky.
?I am honored to be selected to participate in this outstanding event,? said Wiens, a junior honors student from Topeka, who is pursuing a quadruple major in history, Bible, business and philosophy, and will be joined by students nominated from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The purpose of the event at Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky is to educate future public leaders in the skills and processes of statesmanship, providing lessons in diplomacy, dialogue, listening skills, negotiation and mediation.
In addition to holding mock legislative sessions, students will hear from top speakers from around the world on conflict resolution, decision making in a shared power world and national and international relations.
?I am excited to see what?s going to happen,? Wiens said.
Lawrence Ressler, Tabor College provost, said he was delighted to learn that Wiens had been selected from among the college and university students in the state.
?We owe Sen. Brownback our gratitude for nominating a student at Tabor College to represent the state of Kansas,? Ressler said. ?The Henry Clay Student Congress has a marvelous purpose, to help educate a new generation in the skills and processes of statesmanship.
?Andrew will represent Tabor College very well and I am sure he will enrich the college when he returns from what will be a transforming experience.?
Wiens said he is eager to take up the gavel of campus leadership next fall.
?Hopefully, I?ll be able use what I learn at the Henry Clay Student Congress and apply it to leading the Student Senate at Tabor next year,? he said.
Does Wiens see politics in his future? ?I?m keeping my options open,? he said. ?After I graduate from Tabor I?ll probably go to grad school somewhere. I?m interested in philosophy, history and law, but public service is a possibility, also. I?m not shutting that option down.?
Andrew is the son of Emery and Donna Wiens of Topeka. His father is a Hillsboro High School graduate.
