Laplander Named President-Elect of Michigan College Access Programs & Personnel

Finlandia University’s Kailee Laplander has been named President-Elect of Michigan College Access Programs & Personnel (MI-CAPP). Laplander serves as TRIO Pre-College Programs Coordinator and has been at Finlandia since the fall of 2014.

“Ultimately, my interest in this role stems from my interest in college access and success for low-income, potential first-generation students,” Laplander said. “As a TRIO Student Support Services alumni myself, I realized how helpful it was to have someone supporting me as I went through college. Statistically, low-income and first-generation students have more barriers to overcome than their peers. I want to make sure students from the low-income, first-generation demographic have the support they need to be successful.”

Laplander will serve a three-year term, going from President-Elect to President to Immediate Past President. During her first year she will chair MI-CAPP’s membership and professional development committees, chair MI-CAPP’s annual Spring Professional Conference in April and go to Washington D.C. to speak with Michigan congress members on behalf of our programs. In her second year she’ll oversee the chapter as a whole, nominate committee chairs and continue to support the goal of making college accessible for all while also serving on the executive board, and the board of the Educational Opportunity Association (EOA).

“My goal as President-Elect/President of MI-CAPP is to ensure that Michigan’s TRIO programs are supported,” she said. “This means providing TRIO staff opportunities for high quality professional development so they can be up-to-date on educational trends to provide their students the most comprehensive support. It can also mean informing both state and national government of the proven benefits of TRIO so they will continue or begin to support TRIO. TRIO is a federally funded program and we rely on bi-partisan support for our funding. As president elect/president, it is my goal to speak up for our programs so our representatives will advocate for TRIO and continue to provide federal monetary support.”

Laplander graduated from Finlandia in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with concentrations in Christian Vocation and Psychology.

MI-CAPP’s Mission

The Michigan College Access Programs and Personnel (MI-CAPP) brings together persons who have an active interest in and/or are professionally involved in broadening accessibility to and providing support for success in formal, post-secondary education. Learn more about MI-CAPP at micapp.org.