Connected 'Cats

About Connected 'Cats

Student experience is a central component to the regional community visits. Students will be leading and connecting in a variety of ways before, during and after the visits.

A student group, Connected 'Cats, is the core of students who will provide leadership for the day. Connected 'Cats are student leaders who have a diverse range of K-State experiences, a meaningful connection to engaged community work and personal ties to the geographic regions for this academic year's community visits.

There are two roles for Connected 'Cats: student event leaders and student engagement leaders. Both are integral to the planning and implementation of the presidential regional community events.

Meet the Connected 'Cats event leaders.
Meet the Connected 'Cats engagement leaders.

Meet the Connected 'Cats event leaders

For each community visit, student event leaders from that community will tell their K-State stories and help to lead the day's events. These students have a personal connection to their assigned sites.

Flint Hills region

Mark Estares

Year in school: Fourth year at K-State
Major: Accounting and finance major working toward master's degree in accountancy
Hometown: Junction City, Kansas

Learn more about Mark.

Kady Figge

Year in school: Junior
Major: Agricultural communications and journalism
Hometown: Onaga, Kansas

Learn more about Kady.

Ford County/Dodge City

Marissa Ramirez Valdez

Year in school: Senior
Major: Construction science and management
Hometown: Dodge City, Kansas

Learn more about Marissa.

Joshua Diazdeleon

Year in school: Senior
Major: Elementary education, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Liberal, Kansas

Learn more about Joshua.

Greater Kansas City area

Rosa Cano

Year in school: Junior
Major: Human resources management
Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas

Learn more about Rosa.

Malik Jenkins

Year in school: Senior
Major: Life science, pre-veterinary medicine
Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas

Learn more about Malik.

Camden Mayfield

Year in school: Senior
Major: Mechanical engineering
Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas

Learn more about Camden.

Stacia Mendoza

Year in school: Senior
Major: Finance
Hometown: Lenexa, Kansas

Learn more about Stacia.

Central Kansas/Salina

Ethan Brown

Year in school: Junior
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Salina, Kansas

Learn more about Ethan.

Adelaide Easter

Year in school: Sophomore
Major: Bakery science and food science, secondary major in global food systems leadership and minors in business and leadership studies
Hometown: Salina, Kansas

Learn more about Adelaide.

Yulissa Hernandez

Year in school: Junior
Major: Professional pilot, minor in aviation safety
Hometown: Salina, Kansas

Learn more about Yulissa.

Shawnee County

Tyler Burns

Year in school: Junior
Major: Accounting
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas

Learn more about Tyler.

Mackenzie Waggoner

Year in school: Junior
Major: Agricultural communications and journalism, secondary majors in natural resources and environmental sciences and global food systems leadership
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas

Learn more about Mackenzie.

Sedgwick County

Christopher Burrell

Year in school: Senior
Major: Mechanical engineering, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Learn more about Christopher.

Kaleo Vincent

Year in school: Senior
Major: Athletic training and rehabilitation sciences
Hometown: Valley Center, Kansas

Learn more about Kaleo.

Crawford County

Cara DeTar

Year in school: Senior
Major: Agricultural education
Hometown: Coffeyville, Kansas

Learn more about Cara.

Colben Dodson

Year in school and major: Second-year veterinary medicine student
Hometown: Liberty, Kansas

Learn more about Colben.

Finney County

Jade Valdez-Gomez

Year in school: Junior
Major: Dietetics, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Garden City, Kansas

Learn more about Jade.

Tram Pham

Year in school: Senior
Major: Accounting and finance
Hometown: Garden City, Kansas

Learn more about Tram.

Thomas County

Parker Reagan Vulgamore

Year in school: Senior
Major: Agricultural economics, pre-law
Hometown: Scott City, Kansas

Learn more about Parker.

Karly Bandel

Year in school: Senior
Major: Communication sciences and disorders, pre-speech language pathology
Hometown: St. Francis, Kansas

Learn more about Karly.

Meet the Connected 'Cats engagement leaders

Student engagement leaders play an active role in planning and implementing all of the community visits throughout the fall and spring semesters. They engage campus and community partners to develop and deliver preparation to the K-State team; provide logistical support; and serve as event day facilitators for community dialogue and engagement.

Alycen Berridge

Year in school: Senior
Major: Elementary education, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Nickerson, Kansas

Learn more about Alycen.

Dakota Cherney

Year in school: Senior
Major: Journalism and mass communications, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Chester, Nebraska

Learn more about Dakota.

Colleen Fulton

Year in school: Junior
Major: Psychology and sociology, secondary major in global food systems leadershp
Hometown: Loup City, Nebraska

Learn more about Colleen.

Jaye Hrencher

Year in school: Junior
Major: Marketing, minors in graphic design and leadership studies
Hometown: Hiawatha, Kansas

Learn more about Jaye.

Svea Knight

Year in school: Senior
Major: Dietetics, minor in well-being
Hometown: Grafton, Massachusetts

Learn more about Svea.

Totty Norwood

Year in school: Sophomore
Major: English
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Learn more about Totty.

Citlali Real

Year in school: Sophomore
Major: Architecture
Hometown: Dodge City, Kansas

Learn more about Citlali.

Reagan Riley

Year in school: Senior
Major: Human development and family science, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Hiawatha, Kansas

Learn more about Reagan.

Gage Roberts

Year in school: Fourth year at K-State
Major: Regional and community planning, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Salina, Kansas

Learn more about Gage.

Avanelle Stoltz

Year in school: Junior
Major: Biological systems engineering, minor in leadership studies
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas

Learn more about Avanelle.