Meet student board member Grace Bechtel

Since she was born, 17-year-old Grace Bechtel has made headlines. She, along with her sister Kate and brother Emerson, are triplets, a fun fact that has brought them a lot of attention in their small hometown of Lake Mills throughout the years. Fast forward to today, Grace is making news once more, this time as the newest student representative of the Iowa State Board of Education.

Last week, Grace, a junior at Lake Mills Community High School and daughter of Chad and Shannyn Bechtel, was welcomed to her first State Board meeting by Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow, Board President John Robbins and other board members. She will serve as the 2025-26 non-voting student member of the board through April of next year and has noted that she wants to make an impact and experience everything she can during her term.

“I want to be the voice for students,” she said. “At school, I’m in a lot of different groups and interact with different students, both in elementary and high school. I want to be able to provide a perspective for people in different situations, people with disabilities and provide an overview of what students need to feel empowered and find success.”

During her time on the board, Grace plans to learn more about education overall and strengthen various leadership skills.

“I would love to grow my leadership skills,” she said. “That is something that I can bring back to my school and community. For me, this is also about positivity and growth and showing myself that I can grow in new areas.”

As a student, Grace enjoys her classes in English, including studies on composition and writing. She also has notably participated in career exploration and job shadowing in the business field and has taken concurrent enrollment classes through North Iowa Area Community College. Grace is also very active in extracurricular activities, participating in basketball, volleyball, speech, yearbook and the chess and cribbage club, among others. Additionally, she has served as the Vice President of both the student council and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter.

“I have been supported by all of my teachers, some who are also my coaches, to keep pushing myself each day,” she said.

Grace’s time as the student representative on the board will provide her with ample opportunities to explore the education field and learn more about how the board works.

“I’ve started to become more interested in elementary school administration as a possible career,” she said. “This opportunity will provide me with a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes.”

The next year will most definitely offer enriched experiences and new learning curves for Grace. And she is up for the challenge and overall opportunity.

“I love being a part of things,” she said. “I want this experience to carry on with me throughout my life.”