President Philomena V. Mantella, third from right, and other leaders
from REP4 are pictured on the Boise State Broncos football field.
President Philomena V. Mantella and other leaders from the REP4
Alliance met in Boise, Idaho, in late September to discuss how
to empower even more students.
REP4, which stands for Rapid Education
Prototyping for Change, Learners, Community, Equity, is a national
alliance founded by GVSU and other universities. It's designed to
empower students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to take
their education into their own hands.
Since its inception in 2021, REP4 programs have engaged more than 850
learners, giving many students an introduction to higher education
that they may not have received before.
“We're taking the hard path of transforming organizations, and
enabling others to see what we have of value that we can contribute,”
Mantella said. “I've never been in a place with a community that
starts in a messy space, invites others in, and adapts it in their own
institution in just a couple of years."
Without a budget, David Eick sent a request to the "Station Eleven" author's team and was delighted when Emily St. John Mandel enthusiastically replied.
Featured
May 19, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 17)
Article by
Sofia Ellis
In a Bridge Michigan article, Mantella wrote that stewardship requires honoring the foundation built by predecessors while having the courage to adapt for what comes next.