FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Courtney Davis
Assistant Director for Public Relations
Prince George’s Community College
daviscl@pgcc.edu
Student Advocacy Day Unites Hundreds of Community College Students in Support of Continued State Funding
PGCC student speaker addresses legislators during rally
LARGO, Md. (February 15, 2022) – Students from each of Maryland’s 16 community colleges join together today in support of the Student Advocacy Day Rally, an annual event sponsored by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) that provides a platform for students to meet directly with elected officials to make a case for continued state support of community colleges. This year’s event will be held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Community colleges are transformative. We advance equitable outcomes for all learners and provide guided pathways for students and their families to experience an improved outlook that leads to economic mobility,” said Dr. Falecia Williams, Prince George’s Community College president.
“These continue to be challenging times in higher education, but that does not curtail our responsibility to our students who deserve access to modern facilities, quality programs, need-based resources, and opportunities to continue their education beyond our campuses. Prince George’s Community College stands united with our legislators in their efforts to create seamless, sustained pathways to success for our students,” she added.
Students apply via a competitive process to be a part of their institution’s Student Advocacy Day delegation. Across a more than 15-year span, Prince George’s Community College boasts the highest number of student applicants selected to speak during Student Advocacy Day and the Annual Trustees Legislative Conference hosted by MACC. Key legislative themes for this year’s Student Advocacy Day include access, affordability, improved facilities and technology, and streamlined pathways to student transfer.
Prince George’s Community College student Tyree Brown, who is enrolled in the Media Production Certificate program, was selected to represent the College and deliver a speech to the legislative body during today’s Student Advocacy Day Rally.
In 2015, Brown, a visual artist, was injured in a car accident, which rendered her quadriplegic. She enrolled in one credit course at Prince George’s Community College in 2018 in order to complete her Associate of Fine Arts degree at The George Washington University Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. Recently, Brown returned to Prince George’s Community College to pursue a different focus in her career path, with the assistance of a tuition waiver program for students with disabilities.
“Everything changed instantly, and I didn’t know what my future would hold,” Brown shared, recounting the difficult period after the car accident. She credits her faith and family for helping her to find a path forward, noting that without these supports, “I would have mentally crawled into a dark pit.”
During Student Advocacy Day, Tyree Brown explained that her role is to “share my speech to Maryland legislators to discuss the importance of community college and how funding community colleges positively impacts students like me,” adding “I hope to shine a good light on the great things being done locally.”
Student Advocacy Day also includes individual legislator meetings for each college, in which students discuss and make advocacy pitches to elected officials. Prince George’s Community College’s session is scheduled for Feb. 18.
According to the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC), nearly 500,000 Marylanders attend one of the state’s 16 community colleges each year. Prince George’s Community College, the leading institution in training employees for the Prince George’s County workforce, serves nearly 25,000 students annually, from new high school graduates, to individuals looking to retool and retrain, to seasoned professionals seeking to enhance their skill sets.
Learn about academics at Prince George’s Community College here. For more information about Student Advocacy Day, contact Paulett McIntosh, program director of Student Engagement and Leadership, at mcintopd@pgcc.edu. To prevent Zoom-bombing, only previously identified participants will be admitted to the virtual events.
About Prince George’s Community College
Named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security (2015-2020), Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) provides high-quality education and training for the progressive and career-oriented residents of Prince George’s County. From new high school graduates and career seekers to more seasoned professionals and senior citizens looking to enhance their skillsets, PGCC is comprised of students who represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and goals. Serving nearly 35,000 individuals annually, the College is the first choice for higher education for residents of Prince George’s County. Collaborative partnerships, responsive degree and training programs, and a commitment to student success enables PGCC to address diverse education and workforce development demands. For more information, visit the college website at www.pgcc.edu. Prince George’s Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (267-284-5000); www.msche.org. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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