Student Deliberative Dialogue Facilitators
The Student Deliberative Dialogue Facilitator program at Illinois State was launched in fall 2021 to help with increased demand for hosting Deliberative Dialogues across campus. Ten undergraduate students were hired in the program’s first cohort.
The students were all trained to facilitate Dialogues using the NIFI model and issue guides, and they assist Center staff in facilitating Dialogues in both classroom and out-of-class spaces.
Having undergraduate students facilitate Dialogues allows the Deliberative Dialogue program to continue to grow. It also offers student participants a facilitator who is a peer and can often better relate to their experiences. Finally, the student facilitators themselves also gain valuable conversational skills, experience, and training.
2025-2026 Student Facilitators
- Lena Augusta, Criminal Justice
- Chad Bianchi, Nursing
- Jazmine Benson, Political Science
- Emily Cardinal, Political Science and Economics
- Melanie Donis, History and Social Sciences Teacher Education
- Kennedy McNeal, Fashion Design and Merchandising
- T'ana Muttalib, Acting and Psychology
- Diana Solano, Integrated Marketing Communications
- Kyra Sundet, Integrated Marketing Communications
- Jeremy Wright, Management
Want to be a Student Facilitator?
The Center will be hiring in Spring 2026 for several student facilitator positions for the 2026-2027 school year. Email the Center for Civic Engagement if you are interested in being a student facilitator. We will contact you when applications are available.