Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, reiterated his support for higher education and ensuring access to college for young people during a meeting today with Western Washington University student and administration leaders in Washington, D.C. The student leaders discussed their legislative priorities and university President Bruce Shepard gave Larsen an update on the university’s new initiatives.
“The student leaders I met with today are great examples of why it is so important to invest in higher education,” Larsen said. “I am focused on making it easier for kids to go to college by making sure we invest in Pell Grants and low-cost student loans.”
Associated Students Vice President for Governmental Affairs Iris Maute-Gibson thanked Larsen for his February visit to the university campus, particularly for the meeting he convened on the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
“Thank you so much, on behalf of the students you met with,” Maute-Gibson told Larsen. “That was the best dialogue I’ve ever heard on the issue.”
Larsen is a cosponsor of the DREAM Act, which would allow eligible immigrant students who were brought as children to the United States by their parents seek a path to legal residency.
Maute-Gibson also asked Larsen to support the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2011 to combat harassment on college campuses. Larsen agreed to become a cosponsor today.
“I really appreciated hearing from the students directly about their priorities and goals for the university,” Larsen said. “I am always impressed with the caliber of the students at Western. They are using their voice to speak for equality and fairness not just for themselves, but for young people around the country.”
Shepard told Larsen about the university’s efforts to revamp its business model to make it more self-reliant, and highlighted its new renewable energy degree program as an example of innovation on the campus.
Larsen presented Shepard with a copy of the resolution he authored and introduced with the rest of the Washington House delegation honoring Western Washington’s first Division II NCAA National Basketball Title. Shepard gave Larsen a shirt recognizing that win.
Also attending the meeting were Western Washington University Vice President of University Relations Steve Swan, Associated Students President Anna Ellermeier, and Associated Students Legislative Liaison Joseph Meyer.
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, gives WWU President Bruce Shepard a copy of the copy of the resolution he authored and introduced with the rest of the Washington House delegation honoring Western Washington’s first Division II NCAA National Basketball Title. Shepard gives Larsen a shirt recognizing that win.
From left to right: WWU President Bruce Shepard, WWU Associated Students Vice President for Governmental Affairs Iris Maute-Gibson, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, WWU Associated Students President Anna Ellermeier, and Associated Students Legislative Liaison Joseph Meyer.
