On January 24th, Mark Bignell, '21 & '22, officially filed to run for Michigan State Senate District 33. This is his 2nd attempt seeking this office and he couldn't have found the confidence to try again without his experience this last two years in the LEADS Program at GVSU. This April, after his Senior Seminar Capstone, Bignell will walk to receive his bachelor's degree after a 10-14 year journey towards it. Bignell is very excited for this journey to come to a close and looks forward to the remaining challenges this year. He says that his time at GVSU has been life changing. Campaign Announcement: https://youtu.be/6ALbLYtuBzU Transcript: "For the last four years, I have advocated for special education reform and brought critical issues to our representatives. I have used the last four years to grow personally and professionally, while watching contemporary representatives ignore our communities and choose their own issues to address. I am an average blue collar Michigander, embracing my small town values which were once commonplace. Values such as integrity, justice, fairness, honor, generosity, fellowship and humility are at the heart of my personal core convictions. I believe that to be a Michigander means to be resilient in spirit, to show integrity and to embrace generosity towards those facing and enduring emergencies. With a return to those classic values, building a greater sense of fellowship and cooperation; a greater Michigan dream is possible. That is the hope I embrace, as I announce my candidacy for Michigan State Senate. Once elected, I will seek to bring a higher level of statesmanship and representation to Lansing and work to uplift the voices of all Michiganders, ensuring greater opportunity for each of us to make our mark and live our own Michigan dream."