Inspire, Innovate, Impact: Lauren Wolter and Matt Hendricks Share Vision for Student Government
- Cadence Brier
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
As campaign season heats up at Kansas State University, Student Government Association (SGA) presidential candidate Lauren Wolter and vice-presidential running mate Matt Hendricks stopped by the Wildcat 91.9 studio to share their "three-I" platform and their deep roots in the K-State family.
A Team Built on Mentorship and "Meat Judging"
Lauren Wolter, a junior in Animal Science from Illinois, came to K-State with a unique background: she was recruited to the university’s world-class meat-judging team. Her path to SGA leadership began when former president Paige Vulgamore encouraged her to join the cabinet.
Matt Hendricks, a sophomore in Agricultural Economics from Bird City, Kansas, followed a similar path. A fourth-generation Wildcat, Matt was encouraged to join the SGA cabinet by current student body president Brady Kappelmann. Together, the duo brings a mix of state-level advocacy and local city-commissioner experience to the ticket.
The "Three I's" Platform
The Wolter/Hendricks campaign is built on three core pillars designed to evolve the K-State experience:
Inspire: Focusing on student involvement. "We want every student to have a transformative experience, not just take classes," Lauren shared. A key goal here is simplifying voter registration for state and federal elections.
Innovate: Streamlining the "tech clutter." Matt noted that most students have up to seven different K-State apps on their phones. Their goal is to centralize these resources to make daily life more efficient.
Impact: Strengthening the "town-gown" relationship between the Manhattan community and the university to ensure long-term growth.
A "Dynamic Duo" with a Disney Twist
When asked to describe their partnership, Lauren didn't hesitate to compare them to Lumiere and Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast.
"I pick on Matt a lot, and he puts up with it," Lauren laughed. "Lumiere is a bit over the top and makes things extravagant, while Cogsworth stays practical and keeps things on track." Matt agreed, noting his love for an organized Google Sheet helps keep the massive 200-person campaign team running smoothly.
"Win, Lose, or Draw"
While the duo is working around the clock—handing out "Day of Encouragement" notes to students during midterms and planning for upcoming chalking events—their ultimate goal is engagement.
"I’ll be proud no matter how this turns out if we can say we had K-State students engaged enough to vote," Lauren said.
How to Get Involved
The SGA election will take place on February 24th and 25th. Students can find more information about the Wolter/Hendricks platform, order t-shirts, or join their campaign via their social media:
Instagram: @wolter_hendricks
Linktree: Available in their Instagram bio for GroupMe and meeting requests.
Tune into Wildcat 91.9 on February 19th for live coverage of the SGA debate starting at 11:30 am!
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