Kai Herrera

Kai Herrera, a Richard Chesney, Darwin W. Daicoff, and Bob and Linda Livingston scholar, holds a Bachelor of Arts from Beloit College, where they majored in Critical Identities Studies and graduated with Departmental Honors in Sociology. During their undergraduate studies, Kai served for two years as a Student Excellence and Leadership Peer Mentor. In this role, Kai supported first-generation, low-income students, and those with disabilities in navigating higher education.

As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Kai’s research focused on the implementation of trauma-informed programming within the carceral system, specifically its impact on Black women. Kai also served as an Impact Beloit Community Fellow, where they interned with the City of Beloit, Wisconsin, working on waste reduction strategies and community engagement initiatives.

Kai is driven by a passion to become a changemaker in local government. Their commitment to city and county management is grounded in a belief that civic engagement should be accessible, transparent, and inclusive. Kai aims to amplify community voices and use public input as essential data to create innovative, people-centered improvements within the municipalities they serve.