Members of the community within the Lake Central School Corporation were able to vote for two of the five seats on the School Board during the past election. Dr. Jennifer Medlen was elected for the Dyer seat, and Mrs. Janice Malchow remains occupying the at large seat of the School Board. 

   “Over the past couple of years I’ve been trying to find a way to give back to the community that has given me so much over the years. I had been following the school board pages and I decided that the time is right even though things are so chaotic,” Medlen said. 

   COVID-19 has brought many challenges upon functioning society as a whole this year. School staff are being affected majorly due to the dual-platform learning style that was implemented due to the pandemic.  

   “I really feel like the teachers are making the best of a very difficult situation and for them to be teaching in person and online at the same time is very taxing on the teachers and I’m worried about them. Giving them the extra time on Wednesdays is nice, but it does not take away from the fact that they are teaching in person and online five days a week. That is a lot for them,” Medlen said.

    Medlen has many years of experience within the education field. She was part of many different programs and committees within the years she spent as a student as well as a teacher. 

   “I’ve been a teacher myself for 25 years. I’ve been a student for about as long. I have my doctorate degree in  higher education and I have a master’s degree in math. School has always been a huge part of my life,” Medlen said. 

   Education is a very important topic to Medlen. She values the world of education and is excited about the new opportunities this position will bring.

   “I value education very highly and it is so important to ignite a love for learning as much as you can in learners of all levels. As a [future] member of the school board, I want to support students, teachers and parents as much as I can and at the same time come up with ways of maximizing the opportunities of all the students within the school,” Medlen said.