Newly Elected Members of the Waukee School Board

The Waukee school board race featured eight candidates contending for four seats on the school board on November 2nd. Michael Schrodt and Armel Traore Dit Nignan are just two of the four newly elected members. Each candidate is so different and complex, this is what makes them essential to the school board. Their different backgrounds, expertise, and outlook are what make them collaborative.

The first newly elected school board member is Armel Traore Dit Nignan, one of the four elected. Armel decided to run for the school board because Waukee is his home now. It’s where he decided to grow his family and as such, is worth the effort. He has always had a soft heart for the youth, so he looked for opportunities to contribute his time and talents with more depth.

Being on the school board is a great opportunity to contribute to change.  Armel explains the change he’s striving to make by stating, “ The future of work is here and we need to expand our students’ competitive standing in the space. There’s value for every one of our students to have the opportunity to be exposed to growing job fields, even if they decide otherwise. As a board member, I plan to advocate for our district and build bridges to expand those learning opportunities.” Armel’s motivation stems from his parents, teachers, and role models in his community where he grew up, and he wants to provide that same guidance and support for others.

What makes Armel different from the rest of the school board members is his professional expertise and interest in the future of work and how automation could affect the readiness of our students to enter the workforce. Having the extensive community service to go along helps him understand what matters most to our residents and the vitality of the metro. Armel gives great advice saying, “Follow your passion and dreams. Serving your community, however you define that community or where it is, is great. Do it your way.”

The next candidate we’re diving into a little deeper is Michael Schrodt. Michael is motivated by serving. He believes “When you take on a task or leadership role, you aren’t doing it for yourself but are doing it to serve others. This means you are working for those around you, not yourself.” He explained.

Michael has been spending nearly the last two years attending committee, special, and board meetings in person and virtually. What he has learned in that time period is essential to what the role of the school board is and is not. What made Michael interested in Waukee? He answered by saying, “I believe that our school district is the best in the state at providing various opportunities to all students. I want to make sure that those opportunities continue to expand and that all students can find their place and are set up for success.”

These candidates care about us. They care about the well-being of our community, and their differences in expertise and motivation are what make them essential to us. They can give support and guidance so we as people, as a community can grow, make change and overall prosper.