SMC Students Join Other Colleges to Champion Higher Education Funding

Grace White

Student Writer

From campus to the Capitol, three SMC students made their presence known on the steps of the State House as they championed funding for higher education in support of Higher Education Day with the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU).

Manny Gutierrez, Kyle Lindsay, and Grace White represented SMC at this year’s event. The students had the opportunity to share their education story with members of the House of Representative and Senate.

“Having the privilege to be able to interact with members of our State Legislature while still being in college is not something everybody is able to experience,” said Kyle Lindsay, “This event provided a unique chance to experience a sliver of what these lawmakers do in a day.”

Higher Education Day is a statewide event that brings students, faculty, and staff together from institutions all over South Carolina to champion funding for higher education. The students encouraged continued funding especially need-based funding and tuition grants.

The event provides students the opportunity to interact with their state lawmakers to share their personal experiences with higher education; while also highlighting the benefits and opportunities the grant funding has afforded them. This event also encourages meaningful conversations about the impact state funded grants and scholarships have on student success, which gives lawmakers a first-hand account in understanding the importance of continued investment in higher education across the state.

SCICU represents twenty-one private colleges and universities and assists institutions with advocacy for student aid, policy initiatives, and collaborations between schools.

As the students piled onto the steps of the State House for a group photo, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette spoke about the importance of higher education and the lasting impact on enhancing and solidifying South Carolina communities, work forces and future generations. The Lieutenant Governor also acknowledged the role young people play in the future of South Carolina. When students have access to higher education, in turn, the state of South Carolina flourishes. Without accessible higher education, South Carolina risks limiting opportunity and development for its communities. Afterwards, she signed a proclamation shining the spotlight on the importance of higher education, student achievement and state scholarships, such as the LIFE scholarship.

Bridging the gap between State Legislature and college students is one of the main goals of the event. Students took a front row seat as they observed a Legislative session from the gallery, tuning in as members debated and discussed various topics and bills. Watching the session gave SMC students a first-hand account of the legislative process and the impacts these conversations are having across communities in South Carolina. This experience also exposed students to the passion, leadership, and partnership that goes into shaping policies that affect not just higher education, but the future of South Carolina.

SMC’s representatives were particularly moved by a floor speech from Rep. JA Moore, of Columbia, and the passion with which he presented his issue.

“Speaking with Representative Moore was awesome because we could see how passionate he was,” said Gutierrez, “You could tell that he held the same level of passion talking on the floor of the Senate that he did as he spoke to us.”