WINONA, Minn. – A Southeast Tech graduate, Akilah Childs, has returned as an AmeriCorps outreach specialist. Childs’ initial focus will be with campus food pantries in Winona and Red Wing. The college’s dean of students, Melissa Carrington-Irwin, noted that a 2019 survey found that one in three students ran short of food and that 26% went hungry. Childs will help students with access to fresh food and non-perishable staples. “The college hopes to reduce the stress of wondering where their next meal will come from,” Childs said. Her position is funded through a five-year with her outreach duties expanding over time.

Childs. As a student she was on the Student Senate, worked as a peer tutor, planned campus events, and helped with recruiting and admissions. She graduated in 2016 in early childhood education.