Rocio Cisneros, center, with students outside of Lucas Oil Stadium before the Monumental Kids 5K on Sept. 25, 2024. Photo by Liz Kaye, Indiana UniversityIndiana University Indianapolis was honored to sponsor this year’s Apex Benefits Monumental Kids 5K. This event promotes local school-based running clubs and provides students a chance to be active—and take a run through Lucas Oil Stadium.

In 2024, three IU Indianapolis graduates brought their students to participate. Jake Windsor, class of 2014, Jane Fletcher, class of 1986, and Rocio Cisneros, classes of 2013, 2017 and 2023, all ran the 5K alongside their students to encourage a healthy lifestyle and extracurricular enrichment. One of IU Indianapolis’ core values is “service to our state and beyond.” To these teachers, the Monumental Kids 5K was a perfect example of giving back to their students and the community.

Promoting community through education

The life of a teacher is dynamic—always on the move. IU Indianapolis’s School of Education believes that students should work in the field and engage with the community, encouraging students to gain first-hand knowledge of their future careers. It’s only fitting graduates look to keep the momentum going with the Monumental Kids 5K. “When I was a student, a lot of classes encouraged me to go out into the community and gain hands-on experience,” Jake Windsor, physical education teacher at Anna Brochhausen School 88, said about his time at IU Indianapolis. “These experiences and student teaching gave me the opportunity to know what I wanted to stick with in my career.”

Jane Fletcher leads kids in stretching exercises before the Monumental Kids 5K. Photo by Liz Kaye, Indiana UniversityWhen it comes to after-school activities like the Monumental Kids 5K, these three didn’t hesitate to participate.

“There are a lot of students that don’t get the opportunity to come downtown, let alone run on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium,” said Jane Fletcher, second grade teacher at Homecroft Elementary. “When I was at IU Indianapolis, we talked about serving and learning and how we can give back as teachers. The Monumental run is an excellent opportunity to get students and teachers more involved in the community.”

The Monumental Kids 5K fit right into IU Indianapolis’s mission to provide cultural contributions to those within our state. For some, a 5K can mean even more. “IU Indianapolis instilled in me the power to become the best teacher I can be,” explained Rocio Cisneros, Dean of William Penn Middle School. “I chose to stay in Indianapolis Public Schools because I think representation really matters. With activities like the Monumental Kids 5K, I can share these experiences and build a deeper bond with my students while seeing children of Latino descent have these opportunities right in Indianapolis.”

Looking forward

Jake Windsor and a Monumental Kids 5K participant high five after the race. Photo by Liz Kaye, Indiana UniversitySponsoring the Monumental Kids 5K and other activities for the city’s youth is a core part of IU Indianapolis’s mission to effect change in the heart of the city. “To look back and think that 10 years ago we started with eight kids and now we’ve grown to 80, it just shows the impact of events like this,” Windsor recalls. “For them to come and experience something like this in the city, to accomplish something like running three miles, it’s a huge deal for them, and they won’t forget it.”

IU Indianapolis Chancellor Latha Ramchand spoke to the runners at the starting line to kick off the race and later recalled her experience. “We are honored to sponsor this year’s event and talk to so many future Indiana University Indianapolis Jaguars,” she said. “We strive to enable our current and future students to use their education and make a real impact around our urban campus and beyond.”

IU Indianapolis graduates are in the field advancing the university’s mission every day, from education and social work to research, medicine, business and so much more. IU’s Path to 2030 focuses on change—”setting top priorities with a bold and unrelenting commitment to our campus, our community, and our world.”

See how IU Indianapolis students, graduates, and faculty participated in the Monumental Kids 5K here.

Will Van Winkle is a content marketing specialist in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.