Fifteen Montgomery College students traveled to the state capital, Annapolis, earlier this month, accompanied by President DeRionne Pollard, to meet with their elected representatives. They joined students from across the state for Student Advocacy Day, sponsored by Maryland Association of Community Colleges. The day provides students with an opportunity to learn about democracy firsthand and engage legislators about the importance of affordable tuition.
With 80 percent of jobs requiring postsecondary education, Montgomery College plays an important role in providing affordable, high quality, local education. Our students spoke eloquently about the value of community college by sharing their personal experiences and the impact that Montgomery College has made on their lives.
One student, Kara Thompson, shared that she chose to commit a day to meeting with government officials because she hopes to “bring awareness to the senators and delegates that we, at Montgomery College, need this funding to continue what we are doing for our students.”
Dr. Pollard recognized the powerful message students send. She stated, “Our students are the best representation and reflection of what we do as a community college.” The elected officials agreed with Pollard. Senator Craig Zucker noted, “It’s great having the students here. They make a difference in terms of what the funding levels are for community colleges. And it’s good for them to be here in Annapolis because we get to reinforce knowledge that our money is not only well spent, but is paying dividends now and into the future.”