DES MOINES, Iowa (December 5, 2023) – Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG), Tuesday, announced that a Harlan student visited Washington, D.C. for legislative meetings and a national leadership conference. Zeke Christensen begins his inaugural duties as President-elect for the Iowa State Career Association this past weekend in the nation’s capital.
Christensen and seven other Iowa students kicked off their trip in D.C. on Thursday with a tour of the White House and special meet-and-greets with six Iowa legislators:
● Senator Chuck Grassley
● Senator Joni Ernst and staffers
● Congressman Zach Nunn
● Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa’s 1st District
● Representative Ashley Hinson, Iowa’s 2nd District
● Representative Randy Feenstra, Iowa’s 4th District

iJAG and Representative Randy Feenstra: Zeke Christensen is pictured visiting with Representative Randy Feenstra who oversees Iowa’s 4th Congressional District which includes Harlan and and surrounding counties.

Iowa State Career Association Elects-Capitol Hill: Christensen, pictured left, joined fellow Iowa State Career Association elects and other students part of the iJAG programs across the state for a four-day trip to Washington, D.C.

iJAG and Senator Chuck Grassley: Eight iJAG students, including Christensen, met with six Iowa legislators on Capitol Hill last Thursday to discuss the future of Iowa and the impact of iJAG on youth. Pictured is Senator Grassley with iJAG students and staff.

Zeke Christensen: Elected to serve as one of four officers for the Iowa State Career Association for the 2024 school year.

Following a day at the White House, Christensen attended NSLA for three days of skill-building, advanced leadership training, professional networking and activities related to effective communications. The annual event is exclusive for top student leaders across 39 state affiliates of the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) organization. Approximately 350 of 45,000 JAG students are invited to attend each year. Just last month, Christensen was named as the President-elect for the Iowa SCA whose term will begin in the 2024 school year. He was voted to the position by nearly 1,100 of his peers during Iowa’s Leadership Development Conference (LDC). The Iowa SCA is a four-chair student leadership team led and managed by iJAG, a statewide nonprofit organization who partners with Iowa schools to deliver in-class career development programming. (Photos & info. courtesy Rachael Tiby w/iJAG)

Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) is a statewide nonprofit organization who partners with Iowa schools to deliver in-class career development programming for youth grades 6-12. The organization serves more than 7,200 students in 155 programs across 62 school districts and 44 Iowa counties. Students participate in year-round leadership training, skill-building, civic projects and employer engagement experiences that help them discover, plan and prepare for the future. iJAG graduates 97% of its students as compared to the 91% Iowa graduation rate. Additionally, iJAG students are more likely to experience successful transitions to postsecondary education, full-time work and/or military. Learn more by visiting iJAG.org.