Dena Laurent Sorenson Profile in Courage Award

Chante' Mitchell (MPA 2018) currently serves as a Program Director for Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL). Chante' was nominated by 10 of her classmates in the fall of 2020 for the courage she displayed as a student challenging her classmates and faculty alike to broaden the lens on thinking about diversity in local government. After graduation, she went to work in Brooklyn Park, MN, a community deeply impacted by the murder of George Floyd. Chante's resolve was strengthened and she became a leader in organizing spaces for dialogue in supporting BIPOC employees. She spoke out on social media encouraging young people to get involved in local government, and organized drives for food, clothing, and hygiene products for those in need due to the pandemic and civil unrest unfolding in Minnesota.