KWU Students Intern for State Conference

Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU) helps build a bridge for its students’ academic and professional goals. For example, two emergency management students they got to intern for a four-day conference. Lauryn Mikkelson and Merissa Bailey Rios attended the Kansas Emergency Management Association (KEMA) conference last week in Manhattan KS.

Building the Bridge

Merissa Bailey Rios and Lauryn Mikkelson (L.toR.)

Lauryn Mikkelson is from Salina KS, Mikkelson attended Sacred Heart High school. During the summer Mikkelson interned with Saline County Emergency Management. There she assisted with the recovery from the Presidential Declared Disaster that hit Saline County.

Mikkelson is graduating this spring, a year early from KWU.  Last year she was a member of the Criminal Justice Student Association. She is a student athlete, having three successful years on the track and field team. A two-time national qualifier in the Distance Medley Relay and the 4×800. As well as a school record holder for the 4×1. Mikkelson has scored in the All-Conference Championships.

Post graduation she is considering getting her Master’s in Business Administration at KWU. After, she hopes to work in a local county as an emergency manager.

Senior Merissa Bailey Rios is also from Salina KS. She is an Emergency Management, Communications, and Public Relations major. Rios is also a student athlete; a captain on the dance team. Her time at KWU has been eventful. Playing in the string orchestra as a violin. As well as being a communications department work study for two years.

Rios is an intern with Saline County Emergency Management this fall. In 2024, Rios interned for the KEMA conference. There she networked with local agencies and built strong relationships with the KEMA board.

Kansas Emergency Management Association Conference

For this year’s conference the interns were responsible for working at the registration table. There it was the perfect place to start a conversation and network with attendees. Interns were also invited to attend the breakout sessions.

Some notable sessions were, More Than a Fire: Coordinating Controlled Chaos in the South Owl Fire. This was a presentation by Johnny Atkin, the emergency manager for Woodson County. An emotional retelling of the responder operations that followed the wildland fire south of Yates Center in Woodson County KS.

Another breakout session was by Jonathan Schropfer, the emergency management planner for Sedgwick County Emergency Management. Active Shooter Response Planning for Emergency Managers, a session that spoke about lessons learned from Sedgwick Counties large-scale active shooter exercise. Schropfer was able to detail the logistics of a full-scale exercise, where Sedgwick County worked with state and federal agencies.

Past and Present: KWU Student Achievements

With the help of these professional bonds, Kansas Wesleyan University students in the Emergency Management department have achieved great success.

With Lauryn Mikkelson, she is a high achieving student athlete, graduating a year early. Merissa Bailey Rios learned at the conference she was this year’s KEMA Scholarship recipient.

Alumnus Makenna Haas, Class of 2026, works professionally at Cloud County as the director of Emergency Management. When she graduated with her Bachelors in Emergency Management, Haas already started her career in Concordia KS.

Local alumni, Michelle Weis is the Saline County Director of Emergency Management. Graduating from KWU in 2018 with her BA in Emergency Management and Criminal Justice.

Saline County Deputy Director is another KWU alum. Melissa McCoy graduated in 2012, with a Bachelors degree in Public Relations.

Professional Success

These are just a few examples of the success KWU has had in the professional field of emergency management.

This university helps to prepare and train students for the professional world. Students walk across the stage ready to take on their career. Many with a job or job lined up just 6 months post-grad.

To see past student experiences at the KEMA Conference check out this article.