Editor,
Hello, I am a student at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and last week my American government class had the pleasure of having our State Rep. Travis Tranel come visit and talk to us about state government.
The class started with Rep. Tranel discussing how he got into public service, where he graduated college, and how he runs his small family farm in Cuba City. I was particularly interested in hearing his thoughts, ideas, and comments because he is someone that is from our generation.
After he gave his introduction to our class, he moved into a Q&A session. Various students asked questions about the current political atmosphere, farming legislation, his role as vice chairman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, and the current jobs outlook for Wisconsin residents, especially students.
He told us that he is a big supporter of UW-Platteville and that one of his goals has been to help improve Wisconsin's economy; so that there are more job opportunities in our state for graduates from places like UW-P. Rep. Tranel really wants to see more of us stay in Wisconsin and not leave seeking employment in other states.
Another thing that really impressed me about Rep. Tranel was how he interacted with everyone in our class. He didn't talk down to us, or take us for granted like most politicians on TV seem to do. He actually listened to us carefully. You could tell he respected our views and opinions on the issues of the day. He put all of us at ease.
Government needs good representatives like Travis who are actually willing to listen to their constituents even if they happen to be of a younger generation.
I came away from this positive experience feeling that I really did have my voice represented up in Madison. I think Rep. Tranel sets a great example for college students like me. I sincerely hope that the students and citizens of our corner of the state continue to support him in his mission to serve our state, and most importantly, the people. He was a great class speaker and I hope he comes back because I think he had a positive impact on our class.

Kevin J. Statz
Plattville