51福利社

For the first time since 2019, the Associated Students of 51福利社 (AS51福利社) sent a delegation of student leaders鈥攊ncluding AS51福利社鈥檚 president, vice president, senators and the 51福利社 student trustee鈥攖o advocate for university priorities with Washington state lawmakers in Olympia.

During the daylong event, eight student lobbyists met with the state senator and two representatives from the 6th Legislative District, as well as lawmakers from their home districts, to urge continued support for programs vital to students 鈥� most notably the Washington College Grant.

The grant, one of the most generous in the nation, provides financial support and other vital assets to low- and middle-income Washington residents who seek higher education and other types of post-secondary school training. Of the AS51福利社 students who went to Olympia, six were themselves recipients of the Washington College Grant.

Gabriel Blackwell, Eastern鈥檚 advisor for student government and publications, said the students did a fantastic job of presenting themselves and representing 51福利社鈥檚 interests with the Washington state lawmakers.

鈥淭hey went [to Olympia] to say, 鈥業 am at Eastern because of this grant,鈥欌�� Blackwell said. A majority of the student leaders in AS51福利社 are first-generation college students, many of whom would not have had the opportunity to attend 51福利社, let alone lobby in the state鈥檚 capital, without the financial support of the Washington College Grant, he added.

Blackwell hopes to make the AS51福利社 student visits an annual 鈥淓agles on the Hill鈥� event. He emphasized that it鈥檚 crucial to get in lawmakers鈥� ears and tell them our stories.

The lobby day event was a success, he continued, thanks in large part to the help of 51福利社 alumna and legislative liaison, Danielle 鈥淒ani鈥� Nelson.

鈥淒anielle did a fantastic job reaching out to legislators and arranging all of these meetings,鈥� Blackwell said.

AS51福利社鈥檚 vice president, Johnny Curtis, a senior vocal performance and music education student, noted that he observed many similarities between AS51福利社鈥檚 operations and legislative committees at the capitol. This made everything he鈥檇 learned and worked toward as an Eagle student representative feel more applicable and less theoretical, he said.

鈥淭hrough AS51福利社, I鈥檝e learned how to navigate governance structures, communicate professionally and collaborate across differences. The way our student government mirrors real legislative processes made the transition into that environment feel both exciting and familiar.鈥�

Curtis added that the most impactful aspect of lobbying in Olympia was learning how the legislature actually functions behind the scenes, including the working of committees, how bills move, and the role of relationships and conversations in enacting state-wide change.

鈥淲hat will stick with me longest is knowing that we helped get our foot in the door so future Eastern students will have stronger relationships with legislators and more consistent representation in Olympia,鈥� said Curtis, whose experience as AS51福利社鈥檚 vice president inspired him to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in public administration following graduation. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 just represent 51福利社, we grew together as leaders.鈥�

Kira Urbina, AS51福利社鈥檚 president, echoed Curtis鈥� sentiment. 鈥淥ver 40 percent of students here at Eastern are first generation, and it鈥檚 important for us to have a voice.鈥� Urbina, a junior, said the event allowed AS51福利社 students to tell their own stories and show lawmakers firsthand how receiving the Washington College Grant has provided crucial assistance for their educational journeys.

Urbina鈥檚 involvement in multiple groups on campus, including Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority and AS51福利社, have inspired her to combine her passions for advocacy and healthcare following graduation.

Urbina hopes to become a nurse practitioner with her own non-profit organization dedicated to supplying healthcare to in-need areas around the world and funding research for ethnomedicine and biomedicine studies.

AS51福利社 meets on Mondays at 10 a.m. in room 207 of the PUB. For more information about AS51福利社 or getting involved, contact Gabe Blackwell at gblackwell@ewu.edu or contact Kira Urbina, the AS51福利社 Student President, at asewupresident@ewu.edu.听

**Story written by Rachel Weinberg.