Ava Roots currently serves as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, collaborating with Dr. Matt Sobek. Additionally, Ava is the Assistant Speech and Debate Coach at Two Rivers High School, where skills in research and argumentation are emphasized to enhance student public speaking capabilities. Previous experience includes an internship with the Minnesota Senate under Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, assisting constituents in North Minneapolis, and a role as a DFRACS Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota, focused on analyzing campaign spending disclosures. Ava has also demonstrated leadership at Stillwater Changemakers, organizing a community giving garden, and represented youth interests as a representative on the Minnesota Youth Council, advocating for educational equity. As a student leader for the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School initiative, Ava facilitated youth engagement in transportation policy. Currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota, Ava is pursuing academic enrichment from 2023 to 2027.
School District 197 (West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan, MN)
School District 197, in the West St. Paul - Mendota Heights - Eagan area, is committed to providing a challenging educational environment that: - Instills in each student a lifelong passion for learning - Empowers all students to achieve their personal goals and academic potential - Prepares them to be responsible citizens in an interconnected world We are close-knit community of schools located just minutes south of both Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., serving nearly 4,800 students in all or parts of the communities of Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Sunfish Lake and West St. Paul. Learn more about the eight excellent schools that make up District 197 and the programming, teachers, and more that make them special at www.isd197.org.