People with Purpose: Lauren Racki

In a workforce that never stands still, Lauren Racki makes sure that learning doesn't either. As the professional and continuing education manager for K-State Olathe, Racki develops noncredit programs designed to address workforce talent gaps in the Greater Kansas City area.

Connecting professionals with additional learning in areas such as animal health regulation, leadership, financial planning, advanced manufacturing and transportation, Racki meets both learner and industry needs — finding her purpose in creating educational experiences as adaptable as the world they serve.

Q: What drives you to support learners?

Racki: My priority is creating a learner-focused culture where professionals find value in our teaching experts' mentorship, feel connected to their peers and see K-State as a trusted resource for quality education. I believe this starts with an invitational, people-centered approach. The more we connect with our learners and respond to their needs, the more they will feel ownership over their learning and become advocates for K-State.

Q: How does your work fit into K-State's Next-Gen strategic plan?

Racki: As Kansas's land-grant university, our job is to support and transform the lives of people in our state and beyond. Workforce development is a key part of this transformation, and I believe land-grant universities have a unique opportunity to shape our workforce by making learning more approachable and adaptable. Professional and continuing education, which provides applied learning and research opportunities to those already in their field, is another way for K-State to deliver on this promise. Through our work with industry partners, we're establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for those looking to solve complex challenges in their fields through education tailored to their needs.

Q: What is a moment you felt most successful in your role?

Racki: Last year, K-State Olathe hosted our second Animal Health Regulatory Affairs Conference, a program designed to meet industry needs through ensuring proper animal-health compliance education. One repeat attendee from Indiana made a point of telling me that the program's quality was highly valuable to him, saying that the flexible format and relaxing atmosphere of the event allowed him to feel comfortable in a new space and to find time to continue remote work outside the sessions. His experience being the same two years in a row wasn't an accident; it reflected the work our entire campus, from marketing and events to IT and facilities, puts into planning. Knowing that we'd created a refreshing learning environment in a world that often feels overprogrammed, while still delivering value, was a professional highlight for me.

 

Q: How does your work build connections with those you provide programs to?

Racki: With every program we design, our team always starts with the learner in mind. We establish their goals and pain points, their ideal format, which skills employers would value and how the experience would help them personally and professionally. Oftentimes, this also includes working with professional associations to gather first-hand insight into industry needs. The answers to these questions serve as our framework, allowing us to create value-driven learning opportunities that meet high-priority workforce needs. After a program, we offer participants opportunities for both formal and informal feedback, allowing us to evaluate and enhance our services moving forward.

Q: What's your favorite thing about being a part of K-State Olathe?

Racki: As an alumna, I'm proud of the work K-State is doing and the presence that we have in the Kansas City metro area through the Olathe campus. Our campus reaches professionals and alumni who otherwise wouldn't have access to continued education through K-State, and it allows us to connect regularly with industry partners to develop meaningful solutions to challenges faced by our Kansas metro areas and beyond. We also collaborate with our Manhattan and Salina partners to reach new audiences for their programs and, across departments, deliver people-centered results. No matter the audience or the outcome, collaboration is at the center of everything that we do.

Q: What do you hope your K-State legacy will be?

Racki: As a university, we have the unique ability to provide education that is valuable at any stage of life. It's important to me that our programming extends beyond the classroom and positions us as a trusted provider for workforce education to both industry professionals and partners. My hope is that, through my contributions to K-State's continuing education offerings, working adults seeking professional growth opportunities will consider K-State.