BY Axel kylander [HE/Him] | vice chair
Hello everyone,
My name is Axel Kylander, and I’m thrilled and honored to serve as this year’s Vice Chair for Students United. I’m excited to dive into working with and for our fellow students to improve the journey, accessibility, and opportunity of university education for all those who are students now or would want to be students in the future. I’m currently majoring in Political Science at Metropolitan State University, and I have previously completed an AFA in Creative Writing and an AA in Communications Studies.
Once upon a time, I had wanted to study history when I went into higher education. But some personal experiences and tragedies filled me with more passion for the history we are writing in the present, and so I started to look for ways to get involved. Four years ago, I found my way into student government at my college, and went on to serve as senate president. On campus, I spent a lot of time focused on topics like LGBTQ+ student equity and inclusion efforts, improving food access on campus, and combating mental health stigma. I also got involved with Students United’s sister organization, LeadMN, advocating for the betterment of conditions for my fellow community and technical college students across the state.
At LeadMN, I served as Vice President, and then President. One of my major areas of focus in these roles was advancing student advocacy goals through diving into the nuances of policy and legislative research. I spent many long hours on Minnesota State committees and councils, particularly focused on student affairs issues and policies. I also spent a lot of time on state and federal legislative advocacy, including participating in the bill-drafting, meetings, and testimony that led to the passage of major pieces of state legislation to support student basic needs and mental health.
Outside of student leadership, I love to write, read, go on hikes, play video games, and most of all spend time with friends. I’m passionate about history, and continue my creative writing roots on the side, mainly in poetry, historical fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Working as a student leader has been one of the most profound and life-changing experiences I’ve ever known, and I’m so excited to continue that journey with Students United. I love advocating for our community, supporting in student leadership development, engaging with our fellow students in organizing and building consensus around common goals, and most of all I love being a part of this community. Four years in this work have shown me the power of students coming together to make the future better for us all, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve together this year!