Connecting with student leaders

As the eighth week of the 2021 legislative session comes to an end, Da’Mea and I have spent this past week focusing on connecting with students in the Council of Unions and Student Programs (CUSP). On Thursday, March 4, Da’Mea and I started our weekly “Coffee Talks with the SBCTC Legislative Interns.” Every Thursday at 11 a.m., Da’Mea and I will be attending the CUSP-hosted Coffee Talks to connect with students with the intent of giving more community and technical college students an opportunity to be involved in bill analysis and testimony.

The past two weeks have been somewhat slow for legislation as members of the House and Senate have been busy on the floor, but we anticipate the pace of our work will start to increase again next week. Senate Bill 5431, a bill that would create a Rosa Franklin legislative internship scholarship, is scheduled for a hearing March 11 at 10 a.m. with the House State Government and Tribal Relations committee. We’re working to line up people to testify in support of its passage.

My experience as a legislative intern for the State Board has been exciting and educational. Initially, I expected most of my obligations and experiences to lie within legislation and bills, but connecting with students and student organizations has been a significant part of my internship, as well. As a member of Phi Theta Kappa, serving as president of both the Greater Northwest Region and Theta Upsilon Chapter, I am pleasantly surprised to see the crossover of students involved in Phi Theta Kappa and in student government with an interest in legislation and testifying on bills. While I have met new students through my internship, I have also had the opportunity to work with many familiar faces. I find this particularly exciting because I believe that student advocacy and leadership is most effective when the delivery is multi-faceted, which comes from involvement in several academic and extra-curricular activities.