A students’ take on Legislative Days

Legislative Days give students the chance to meet with local and state leaders to promote the impact of iJAG and share their personal stories and aspirations for the future while putting their leadership and soft skills into practice. This year, more than 250 students visited the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines across two separate days. During the event, we were able to catch up with iJAG senior, Sisi, of Cedar Rapids Prairie High School. Read more in this article about her journey from Africa and how our program has inspired her plans for the future. 

Sisi and her family are originally from Africa. Born in a refugee camp and residing in Tanzania until she was four years old, Sisi and her family settled in Waterloo when they arrived in the U.S. They were able to find a small African community within Waterloo that helped them navigate being in a new country, learning a new language, and finding work. Sisi admitted that she was incredibly quiet in school until middle school, as her native language was Swahili – a language barrier that left her feeling insecure and unable to fully express herself. She worked hard to learn English while mastering new subjects.

Sisi found iJAG while attending middle school at George Washington Carver Academy. She said our classroom offered her a welcoming space and made her feel more comfortable at school. Her Specialist had high expectations for Sisi and her peers, but in a way that felt supportive and empowering. She remembers this being the first time she had ever thought about her future and what type of job opportunities would be available to her. During the transition to high school, Sisi and her family moved to Cedar Rapids. Ironically, iJAG launched new programming at Prairie High School shortly after which led  Sisi to re-join and get connected with  Mr. Payne. 

When Sisi was invited to attend Legislative Days, she was most looking forward to displaying her confidence and speaking about topics that were important to her. She believed that her voice could be impactful as she served as an advocate for the program. She plans to use effective communication in her career as she pursues global marketing and communications. Sisi knows how powerful words can be and is fascinated by the impact global companies can make. We do not doubt that ANY company would benefit from her life experiences, communication skills, and passion!