Morgan Evers, Jahnee Smith, Rayatah Omawale, Vanessa Jimenez, Andres Gil Arana meet with State Representative Anna V. Eskamani (D-42)
As part of FCAN’s 2023-24 Advocacy Fellowship,15 students participated in two days of advocacy in Tallahassee to share their stories with legislators.
ASPIRE, the local college access network serving Leon, Gadsden, and Wakulla counties, partnered with FCAN to recruit and work with a small group of students, mentoring them on how to leverage their voice to improve education policy in Florida.
“We all had one common goal which was to influence change for future college students,” said Rayatah Omawale, 2023-24 advocacy fellow and student at Valencia College. “Your story is only the first step in the path to creating a better education for all college students statewide.”
FCAN’s advocacy agenda includes key policy issues such as universal FAFSA, need-based aid, and career and technical pathways.
ASPIRE’s group of fellows advocated for a universal FAFSA policy and increased state investment in need-based aid. A universal FAFSA policy would ensure students complete the FAFSA prior to graduating high school; or a student canopt out.. An enhanced need-based aid policy would expand state financial aid for students facing economic barriers during their postsecondary education journey. Bringing awareness to and securing support for these items would positively impact the college-going process for many students across the state.
“Guidance shouldn’t be a privilege granted to those deemed worthy of making the decision to go to college; it should be in the hands of everybody so they may make an informed decision for themselves,” said Vanessa Jimenez, 2023-24 advocacy fellow and student at Florida Atlantic University.
The fellowship allows students to tell their story in Tallahassee and be a voice for important topics that are meaningful to them. These voices bring a range of perspectives including from students with a low-income or first-generation background.
“Since moving to the U.S., I became the first in my family to graduate high school and college with honors in a foreign country, and I will be the first to pursue doctorate-level education. I strive to inspire others who, like me, did not have a growth-promoting environment to be persistent and never quit on themselves,” said Andres Gil Arana, 2023-24 advocacy fellow and Florida State University student.
Morgan Evers, with ASPIRE, mentored the students to ensure they were prepared for their visit to Tallahassee.
Social change is embedded in ASPIRE’s (Accelerating Student Performance Into Realms of Excellence Capital Region) goal, an LCAN leveraging their partnerships to scale education and workforce development opportunities. Aiming to make education beyond high school accessible, ASPIRE was formed in 2018 by several leading community partners, including the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Big Bend, Tallahassee Community College, and Florida State University, to address talent and educational attainment in the Capital Region.
Through this partnership, fellows received a valuable experience aimed to inspire and uplift each student.
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