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West Virginia University student Mackenzie Steele of Bridgeport, was elected Circle K International trustee. She was elected in July by delegates of member schools at an International Council meeting.
Circle K International, a branch of Kiwanis International, is the world’s largest student-led collegiate service organization. With thousands of members, on hundreds of campuses on seven continents, Circle K International’s mission is to develop the next generation of servant leaders.
Steele first joined Kiwanis International Student Leadership Programs in 2013 when she attended her first meeting of Key Club, a program for high school students to serve their communities and gain leadership skills.
“Participating in service brought me a feeling I had never experienced before,” Steele said. “I was able to make friends from all over the world that I could have never imagined.”
She continued her dedication to service after high school when she joined her university’s Circle K International Club.
Steele has held numerous positions in Circle K International, including West Virginia district editor, lieutenant governor, International Membership Committee member, international convention team leader, district governor and International Membership Committee chair.
Steele has earned numerous awards for outstanding service in Key Club and Circle K International. As a Key Club member, she received the Robert F. Lucas Outstanding Lieutenant Governor Award from 2016 to 2019. Within Circle K International, Steele received the West Virginia District Outstanding Board Member, CKI Board Member of the Year, Distinguished District Governor and Distinguished International Committee Chair.
While leading the West Virginia District, Steele created “Kids for a Cure Carnival,” a community gathering to raise pediatric cancer awareness through activities, performances and fundraisers.
As a Circle K International trustee, Steele plans to help her district reach as many of its goals as possible, with an emphasis on membership. During her time as a district board member, she increased club membership in West Virginia and hopes to implement strategic programs to assist districts in growing their membership and becoming as successful as possible.
At West Virginia University, Steele studies political science and women’s and gender studies with a French minor. After graduating, she plans to attend law school to pursue her passion for advocacy work and politics. Steele wants to practice human rights law and work with the wrongfully incarcerated.
Outside of Circle K International, Steele is a member of Omega Phi Alpha, a community coordinator at A Moment of Magic Foundation and a volunteer at the Appalachian Prison Book Project. She is passionate about prison reform and prison educational systems and assisting communities around her.
In her free time, she enjoys pursuing her hobby of makeup, spending time with her cat and joining West Virginia University groups that work in the community.
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