MONMOUTH, Ill. — A little person gave a big speech in Iowa recently, and two Monmouth College students were part of the day. As a great side benefit, seniors Karah Goetschius of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and Erik Hoffer of Palos Hills are going to be on national television because of it.

Goetschius and Hoffer were in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, in conjunction with a visit to the Cornell College campus by Amy Roloff, one of the stars of "Little People, Big World," which airs Monday evenings on the TLC network at 7 p.m. Central time. The show allows viewers to "spend time with the Roloffs as together they overcome life’s obstacles and navigate through the world, growing closer in the process."

The Roloffs are a family of six, composed of both little and average-sized people. Amy, her husband, Matt, and one of their twin sons are "little," while the other three children fall into the "average" category. The show’s Web site explains part of the next episode, which airs May 5:

"Amy is in Iowa, where she gives a motivational speech at Cornell College. Before the big speech, she enjoys some winter fun with students."

That "winter fun" came about thanks in part to a Mt. Vernon tradition of closing off one street at Press Hill for the sole purpose of sledding. As producers and cameramen brainstormed about using that scene as part of the backdrop for the show, they asked, "Does anyone have a sled?"

The answer was, "Judy does."

Judy Goetschius, Karah’s mother, serves as Cornell College’s housing facilities coordinator, and college personnel in the know correctly assumed that since she had several children, she’d also have a sled. Not only did Judy have that prop, but she also had some people who could be added to the shot, as her daughter and Hoffer were in town to attend Roloff’s talk, which was part of Cornell’s IDEA Institute leadership program. The group hit the slope for about an hour, said Karah, and had a great time, a sentiment echoed in regard to the entire visit by one of the Cornell staff members who helped organize the event.

"Amy was extremely personable," said Megan Comer, Cornell’s director of student activities, who reported that more than 200 students crammed into the college’s Commons to hear the talk. "The students really learned a lot and they were able to reflect upon the importance of not making assumptions on others based solely on appearance."