Tri-C Student Leaders Advocate for Higher Education

Delegation spent four days in Washington, D.C., talking about critical issues

A delegation of student leaders from Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) recently spent four days in Washington, D.C., where they visited Ohio congressional offices and advocated for increased federal investment in higher education.

The visits coincided with the American Student Association of Community Colleges’ National Student Advocacy Conference, which focused on issues critical to helping community college students fulfill their educational goals.

Teams of Tri-C students met with representatives for both Ohio senators — Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman — as well as U.S. Reps. Marcia Fudge, David Joyce, Marcy Kaptur and Jim Renacci.

Discussion topics included sustaining and increasing the Pell Grant; reauthorizing the Higher Education Act; and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The Tri-C delegation, listed by campus, included:

• Eastern Campus: Rebecca Groth, student government president; Pinal Modi, student government vice president; Lewis Phipps, student government secretary; Abigail Mosley, student government treasurer; Cheralda Bell, student senate; and Teara Young, Tri-C’s Board Student Scholar.
• Metropolitan Campus: Mohamed Ag Almahamoud, student government president; Alexis Wells, student government treasurer; and Kaitlyn Ruffin, student senate.
• Western Campus: Kirby Copper, student government president; Kristen Septaric, student government vice president; Madison Bakos, student senate; Ronald Gettys, student senate; Katelyn Koo, student senate; Mackenzie Macura, student senate; Brendan Madden, student senate; and Nicholas Protiva, student senate.
• Westshore Campus: Nate Bevington, student government president; Adolphe Musanga, student government treasurer; and Barbie Robertson, student government secretary.

The American Student Association of Community Colleges hosts a National Student Advocacy Conference each year in Washington, D.C. The organization makes leadership, citizenship and advocacy central themes for its conferences and encourages students to become engaged citizens.

A highlight of the 2018 conference was an address by three-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who spoke about the importance of student leaders having a presence in the Capitol. He encouraged students to work and volunteer to improve the nation.

April 05, 2018

John Horton, 216-987-4281 john.horton@tri-c.edu