Student Spotlight: Emma Kenkel '23
“I have come from generations of strong women,” says Emma Kenkel, a senior at USF. “Both of my grandmothers were teachers and instilled in me the value of education. My mom has always been one of my biggest supporters and advocates.”
Emma continues the family legacy as she makes an impact as student body president, sprinter on the women’s track and field team and an honors student with her sights set on law school.
“I distinctly remember a conversation I had with my mom when I was around a sophomore in high school,” Emma says. “She told me to never settle on my dreams, and that no goal was too hard to achieve if I put my mind to it. That influence in my life fueled me to pursue collegiate track and field and leadership positions.”
Emma knew in high school she wanted to run collegiate level track, but it wasn’t until after her first few semesters of college that she found her passion to pursue being an attorney. The field gives Emma an opportunity to help people while she puts to work her love for writing, reading and critical thinking.
“At USF, I was able to be part of the mentorship program where I was paired with a lawyer who graduated from USF,” Emma says. “We met about once a month, and I was able to ask her questions and get to know about her journey at USF and in law school. This was impactful for me because we had a lot in common and it was nice to have a member of the Sioux Falls community to be in touch with.”
During her time as student body president serving the over 1,100 undergraduate students, Emma advocated for students to get involved in areas of campus outside of their comfort zone. As a student-athlete she saw the rich value in broadening community outside of one’s natural social circles.
“The biggest thing that has stood out to me about being president is the relationships I have fostered,” Emma says. “I really care about the students on this campus and being president has given me the opportunity to get to know them and try and make the campus better for years to come.”