Beyond the Classroom: Advocating for Washington students

In fall of 2025, I was contacted by the Office of Institutional Advancement with exciting news: I had been chosen to represent Saint Martin's University as a fellow with the Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW). Every year, the ICW invites member campuses to choose a student to serve as a legislative advocate on behalf of their school, focusing on issues impacting not-for-profit private institutions. As Saint Martin's sole representative, I stepped into this role not fully knowing what to expect, and came away having learned the power of advocacy.

Beginning in December, I met with fellows from other ICW campuses and began preparing to engage with the legislature. Our primary focus for this legislative session was restoring the student aid that had been cut to the Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship. Through our sessions together, I learned how to shape my personal story into something lawmakers could connect with.

My first opportunity to do exactly that came on January 15th, when I testified before the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development committee in support of SB 5828, a bill that aimed to restore the cuts made to student financial aid. This was an opportunity to make sure that my peers' voices were heard in the halls of the legislature. Through this experience, I found a new confidence in my ability to advocate for the needs of others.

As the session continued, I had a few more opportunities to testify on both SB 5828 and its companion legislation, HB 2567. I attended the House committee on Postsecondary Education and Workforce Development and provided testimony for the house companion bill. Throughout all these hearings, one message rang consistently clear: students expect the state to honor its promise to support them through their postsecondary education.

In mid-February, I traveled to the Capitol for an advocacy day, during which I was able to meet with both members of the House and Senate. I was accompanied by Terri Standish-Kuon, CEO of the Independent Colleges of Washington, and President Bill Brownsberger. It was a rare chance to tell my story directly to the people with the power to act on it. One moment that stood out to me was my meeting with Senator Adrian Cortes, who not only affirmed that I was doing the right thing, but also expressed genuine support for our efforts to bring about change.

Representing students from Saint Martin's and across the state has been an honor. My work with the ICW reinforced the importance of advocating for those who don't yet have the opportunity to do it for themselves. I hope that through my example, advocacy will become more normalized on our campus and beyond, leading to greater student involvement and more meaningful legislative action.

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