Pleasant Valley High School emphasizes that students not only excel in the classroom but in the community as well. The district strives to create well rounded individuals by requiring that students complete a total of 70 hours of community service in order to graduate. A great example of how PV would like to see their students excel in the future is set by Chris Cournoyer.

Cournoyer is a member of the PV school board, representing District 1, and was recently elected as President of the Board. Her involvement in the community has been ongoing since she moved to the area from Texas about 16 years ago. Her contributions fall under a wide range of categories. She is a Reserve Deputy for the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, a member of both the Junior League of the Quad Cities and North Scott Rotary Club and President of the Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC).

Cournoyer has a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. She has coached the FIRST LEGO League team as well as the First LEGO League Junior team. With a degree in Computer Science, she is able to mentor other students in activities such as robotics, coding and computer science at the Hour of Code Classes. She enjoys being able to promote STEM skills and career options to girls in a world where the field has been dominated by men. She was also mentor of the PVHS “Iowa Girls Code” team. The QCESC organization works to encourage and inspire students to take on STEM professions in the future.

For her contributions to the organization, Cournoyer was awarded STEM Champion at the 10th Annual Women of Innovation Awards program on November 13th, receiving a plaque and trophy. Sara Hoskins and Ramya Banda, both PV students, were nominated in the High School category for Innovation and Leadership.

Although she has served the school district well, she plans to do so on a bigger scale. Cournoyer will be running for the Iowa State Senate. She states, “I would work hard for the people of our district with actions that produce results and not just talk”. At times, she faced frustrations with having to apply what was being told by the capitol and from that she found why running would be beneficial. She was also encouraged by Governor Kim Reynolds, a good friend of hers. Cournoyer would use her knowledge to not only impact public education but also public safety and the economy— both concerns of hers. She would like to see improvements made in civil discourse by bringing it back to State Politics “so that we can work together for the people of Iowa no matter what party we represent”.

Running for State Senate requires a great deal of self advocation as well as 100 signatures on a nominating petition, and Cournoyer is up for the challenge. She explained that she will need to prove herself to the district that she would work hard to represent and make our district an overall better place to live. “As a public figure, I would be more visible in the community, and I would be a role model for my children and anyone that wants to make a positive impact on their community. I would also hope that I would inspire more females and underrepresented minorities to consider running so we have more representation and diversity of thought in government.”

She hopes that her involvement in the community inspires others to get involved and be aware of what is happening around them. She cares deeply about her community and wants to make it know that a positive difference can be made through teamwork and hardwork. It is rewarding for Cournoyer to see student graduates become positive influences in the world and realize that she took part in it.