Harford Community College Students and Staff Participate in Student Advocacy Day

Nine students from Harford Community College were among the hundreds of students from community colleges around the state who took part in Student Advocacy Day 2024 in Annapolis on February 6, 2024. The students thanked lawmakers for their previous support and advocated for saving their funding not included in this year’s budget. This is the first time the event has been held in person since before the pandemic.

Harford students who participated in Student Advocacy Day included Jared Schilling, Maria Fetter, Katie Garner, Natalie Jarret-Brune, Saumya Brahmbhatt, Derrick Hamilton, Monet Eck, Mokhina Ismailovasusan, and Sherley Sharan. Also representing the College were Dr. Theresa B. Felder, President of Harford Community College; Dr. Kurt Doan, Senior Executive Assistant to the President/Board and Legislative Liaison; Chandler Sagal, Student Leadership and Programming Specialist; and Caitlin White, Director for Student Life.

In the morning, students from each of the state’s community colleges gathered for the event kickoff at the Governor Calvert House in Annapolis, Maryland. After the gathering, students visited with their local delegates to learn more about Maryland political proceedings and to advocate for more robust state fiscal support of Maryland’s community colleges. They shared their personal experiences and emphasized the importance and value of a community college education as well as its impact, not only on their future but the future workforce of Maryland. Harford’s team had the opportunity to meet with members of the Harford County Delegation, including Lauren Arikan, Delegate, District 7B; a representative from Senator Jason Gallion’s office, District 35 (Cecil and Harford Counties); Mike Griffith, Delegate, District 35A; Andre Johnson, Jr., Delegate, District 34A; Steven Johnson, Delegate, District 34A; Susan McComas, Delegate, District 34B; and Teresa Reilly, Delegate, District 35A.

The event was sponsored by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, an advocate for the state’s 16 community colleges and the educational needs of the students they serve, to provide students with an opportunity for direct access to their legislators.