Northwestern names Franklin and Stokes to lead diversity efforts
Northwestern College has named Rahn Franklin and Dr. Valerie Stokes to new roles leading its diversity efforts.
Franklin, director of multicultural student development, will become director of strategic diversity initiatives. As such, he will assume more responsibilities across the institution in offering guidance and training for curricular and co-curricular areas. He’ll also continue to mentor multicultural students and to direct the Bridge Scholars program, which provides select students with scholarships and the opportunity to further develop their servant leadership skills on campus and in the community.
Stokes, associate professor of social work, will take on an additional role as director of academic diversity initiatives. In that position, she will champion and support diversity initiatives related to faculty, curriculum, scholarship and other academic operations of Northwestern.
Opinion: Governor Reynolds, unaccompanied minors should be Iowa’s problem, too Valerie Stokes
Replay Video UP NEXT
As an Iowan parent of two undocumented children, I am dismayed by Gov. Kim Reynolds’ dismissal of Iowa’s role in housing unaccompanied migrant youth. “This is not our problem,” the governor said on the “Need to Know with Jeff Angelo” program last month.
The governor says that her priority is the health and safety of Iowans. The idea that helping these children sacrifices that health and safety is ridiculous.
I am a white parent of three biological children, and six years ago we invited two undocumented, unaccompanied Latino boys (ages 12 and 14) to join our family. We helped walk the boys through a legal process as their permanent legal guardians. One of the boys, Jose, continues to live with our family. He has graduated from high school in Orange City and is entering the workforce, and I now consider him my son. He has ongoing