Nov

02

Senator Mike Flood receives awards from Wayne State’s Growing Together students

The Growing Together Career Scholars cohort of Wayne State College presented Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk with two awards recently at Napoli’s Restaurant in Norfolk.

The first award consisted of four “Challenge Coins,” which confirm membership in the program and recognize a person for an achievement or a significant accomplishment. The coins signify benchmarks that represent student unification, preparedness and empowerment of learning by doing.

The second award was the Genuine, Resilience, Integrity and Tenacity (GRIT) Award. The GRIT Award recognizes character strengths that demonstrate a combination of determination, perseverance and vision.

This is the first time the GRIT Award has been presented to an individual. The awards were presented by two students: Brogan Jones of Allen and Austin Pierce of Brainard.

“Flood’s unrelenting determination, perseverance and passion to the Growing Together Career Scholars program exemplifies the definition of GRIT,” said Michael Keibler, executive director of cooperative education at Wayne State, in a media release. “His authentic and genuine pursuit of workforce development is inspiring; his resilience despite challenges is encouraging; his integrity to the foundation of experiential learning is beyond reproach; and his tenacity to move his vision forward sets an example for all.”

At its core, the Growing Together Career Scholars Program supports workforce and economic development in Northeast Nebraska and is part of the larger Growing Together Initiative, an Aksarben strategy aimed to retain young people and grow and sustain the region’s economy.

Students must be passionate about earning a degree in one of the eligible fields and be committed to remain in Northeast Nebraska to participate. Throughout the program, students participate in career readiness activities. During their senior year, students live in the downtown Norfolk area with their peers.

This living experience helps them socially connect with the community and gain an appreciation for the city of Norfolk. Upon graduation, the goal is for them to be hired into full-time positions in Northeast Nebraska.

Click here to read the full article in the Norfolk Daily News.