Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said states need to be “creative and innovative” in how they think about learning — and don’t need the bureaucracy of Washington, D.C., in the way. At the roundtable, MSU students and representatives from industry talked about the importance of connecting education with the needs of the private sector and the benefits of the trades at Gallatin College. Republican President Donald Trump’s appointment of McMahon to head the Department of Education has been controversial and led to legal battles and protests. After the roundtable, Hedalen said children get excited about things like light sabers and robotics and lasers, and they excel with the hands-on learning. At the close of the discussion, MSU President Brock Tessman presented McMahon with a special pin.