(ABC 6 News) — Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan stopped by the Rochester Public Library on Wednesday as part of her Kitchen Table Conversations tour around Minnesota.

One by one, sitting in a horseshoe shape around Flanagan, people shared personal stories about how the current United states administration is affecting them.

Right away Flanagan was impressed with the courage on display from the people of Rochester in the way they shared their stories.

“There is a powerful group of people here who are ready to step up to organize and to be loud about the things they care about,” Flanagan said.

People discussed issues ranging from farming to housing but the reoccurring theme kept circling back to education.

President Donald Trump ordered massive layoffs at the Department of Education.

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“The Department of Education, maybe more so than any other place, has a lot of people that can be cut.” Trump said. “Number one they’re not showing up to work, number two, they’re not doing a good job.”

While people here in Rochester expressed concerns, Trump’s education secretary Linda McMahon said those layoffs won’t impact the quality of education across the nation.

“We kept all of the right people and the good people to make sure that the outward facing programs, the grants, appropriations from Congress are being met and none of that is going to fall through the cracks,” McMahon said.

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Despite those assurances, some people at Wednesday’s town hall say they are still concerned. But hearing those worries was a big reason why Flanagan came to the Med City.

Flanagan said she hopes people take away the power of community from her Kitchen Table Conversation. She added it’s important to tell personal stories and lift each other up.