The Mansfield Center Student Advisory Council meets once a month to brainstorm ideas and outline plans for campus and community outreach related to the mission of the Mansfield Center. Participating students gain the opportunity to build skills in leadership, collaboration, and event planning while learning about community involvement, outreach, citizen diplomacy, and international exchange. This year, the Council will work together to create both virtual and in-person ways to engage, maximizing flexibility.

The Mansfield Center is committed to supporting UM’s Priorities for Action, including placing student success at the center of all we do. The Mansfield Center Student Advisory Council is comprised of four undergraduate and graduate student representatives who work with us to identify the best ways we can support student success, and the best outreach methods to engage with students.

2021-2022 Members

Kersey Blackford is a Presidential Leadership Scholar at the DHC. She is majoring in Political Science with minors in International Development Studies and Southeast Asian Studies. She is a member of the Global Leadership Initiative, a DHC Ambassador, and an intern with the Montana World Affairs Council. She volunteered with refugee children in Idaho and worked in rural communities in Nepal. She competed at the national Academic WorldQuest competition in Washington D.C. and participated in the Kakehashi Project in Japan. She's excited to promote global engagement on the council again this year.

Maria Goheen is a junior at the University of Montana studying Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Psychology. She is a member of the Franke Global Leadership Initiative and the Davidson Honors College. Maria is a member of the Montana Women's Tennis Team. She has acted as an international conversation partner through the Global Engagement Office and participated in virtual exchanges with Egyptian and Japanese students. She intends on pursuing International Development Studies post undergrad.

Morgan Hahn is from Polson, Montana, and a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Montana, majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Business and Nonprofit Administration. He currently works for the UM Financial Education Program, supporting college and high school students with navigating the hurdles of federal student aid. He previously served as an ASUM Senator, where he advocated for students and sensible policy changes to bolster student success. Morgan served as a Legislative Intern for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, working closely with policy advisors and legislative staff, an experience that solidified his career path in public service. He chose Communication Studies to learn ways to convey ideas and information, as he believes communication is at the core of public service. He is passionate about finding ways to communicate complex programs to diverse audiences, as he believes that the ability to share thoughts, plans, and intentions is crucial to effectively serving your community. Originally from southern California, Morgan has called Montana home for over a decade. He has a keen interest in American history, politics, and public service. In his free time, you'll find him hiking, skiing, biking, or exploring another corner of Glacier National Park.

Yulianus Kogoya is from the small city in the Eastern part of Indonesia called Agats. He is a senior studying Geography at the University of Montana. Mr. Kogoya is going to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2021. He is currently working on some applications to enroll in a graduate program in the Fall of 2022. He is planning to take his master of science in Geography (community) and Environmental Planning. He is the co-founder of South East Asian Student Association (SEASA) and the former president of it. His leadership experiences including; first SEASA President at the University of Montana, the founder of English Language Community in Asmat regency (Indonesia), the tour guide for the Missoula Bike Tours for the Humphrey Fellow from the ELI. Another unique experience Mr. Kogoya has been doing an internship with the ASUM Transportation Office in the Summer of 2021. During his work experience with a transit company on campus, he has contributed some valuable works like becoming an organizer for the Missoula bike tour, creating surveys for international students and creating brochures for the ASUM Office of Transportation. His interest in the transportation system made him take another internship at the end of his final semester with the ASUM Office of Transportation.

Canyon Lock is transfer student from Gunnison, Colorado. He is studying Classics and Political Science, with concentrations in Latin and International Relations. In addition to serving on the Mansfield Center Student Advisory Council, he is currently serving as the ASUM Vice President and, by extension, as the Chair of the ASUM Student Senate. He is also serving as the ASUM representative on the University of Montana's International Council. On weekends, Canyon volunteers with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to help refugees settle into the Missoula community. Canyon has a longstanding passion for learning foreign languages - he speaks German, Spanish, and a bit of Japanese and French. In his free time, he enjoys studying history, traveling, running, and playing pickleball.

Isabelle Melton is a Presidential Leadership Scholar at the University of Montana Davidson Honors College (DHC). She is double majoring in political science and multidisciplinary studies, which is comprised of history, international development, and literature, and is also earning certificates in global leadership and world competencies. Isabelle works as an International Affairs Research Intern at the Mansfield Center, where she coordinates the Student Advisory Council. She also advocates for the DHC as an Ambassador, performs with the Zootown Cabaret, serves as President of Mortar Board, and is a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha honor society and Alpha Phi sorority. Isabelle was named a Baucus Leader and has completed two internships with the United States Senate. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and then carry on Senator Mansfield’s legacy of bi-partisanship and diplomacy to improve the lives of people around the world.

Allison Simko is a third year Presidential Leadership Scholar at the DHC. She is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Japanese. In the past, Allison completed an internship with the Montana World Affairs Council, working towards fostering global cultural exchanges between students in Montana and Egypt. Currently, Allison is the Underwriting Coordinator at KBGA Missoula College Radio. She is also a volunteer with the YWCA GUTS! program, an after-school initiative that teaches leadership skills and self-empowerment to girls and gender diverse youth. Post-graduation, Allison hopes to continue developing global diplomacy by teaching English abroad.

If you have additional questions, please contact Sarah Ward at sarah.ward@mso.umt.edu.