Most people only get to read and watch the news about policy and politics in Washington, D.C., but three dedicated, top-notch Dallas County Community College District students experienced first-hand issue advocacy when they met and talked with legislators at the U.S. Capitol during the 2016 National Legislative Summit this winter.
North Lake College sophomore Dragana Repaja said the entire experience of going to the nation’s capital and meeting with two U.S. congressmen and a senator during the four-day trip was amazing. “It was a blessing and a huge confidence boost,” said Repaja, who was born in Croatia and moved to the U.S. as a child.
For Cedar Valley College sophomore Eian Gallegos, who is studying economics, the trip was something he will never forget. “I want to get involved in politics, so it was good to see the legislative process, the representatives and all branches of government. It was really eye-opening,” Gallegos said.
Fabiola Chavez, who graduated from Eastfield College in May 2015 but is still taking classes, called the trip “a little surreal. It proved to me that if you work hard, you get to do cool things like this.” This journey was her second trip to the District of Columbia, and she and her colleagues got to see the monuments, the White House and museums.
The summit, which is organized by the Association of Community College Trustees, brings together community college leaders from across the country to advocate for issues that affect two-year schools.
The three DCCCD student leaders talked to Reps. Pete Sessions and Marc Veasey, plus Sen. John Cornyn, all of whom are part of the Texas congressional delegation. They discussed one of the most pressing issues for students: the Pell grant, a federal education grant that is issued most frequently to low-income students. The students stressed the importance of making the Pell available year-round and extending its availability from 12 semesters to 16 semesters. Gallegos, who stated he was a little intimidated talking to the politicians, said Rep. Veasey was already in favor of those proposals and seemed knowledgeable about the issue. Sessions asked more questions and was curious about the students’ academic lives. “We gave him our personal stories, and he understood how important the issue was for us,” Gallegos stated.
In addition, the three students spoke about the need to change the ranking system for community colleges, Gallegos said. “For example,” he explained, “graduation rates don’t take into account students who transfer. That should change.
Chavez, who wants to be a medical doctor, especially enjoyed meeting Sessions. “He’s quite a strong character! He got to the point, and there’s no beating around the bush with him when we talked to him about community colleges and Pell grants,” she said, adding that the congressman also gave them advice on life.
All three of DCCCD’s representatives were nominated by administrators at each of their schools, and all three are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges. Their GPAs range from 3.5 to 3.7. In addition, Repaja is the public relations chair for the student government association at North Lake, and Gallegos is an SGA member at Cedar Valley. Gallegos and Chavez are also student ambassadors at their respective schools.
Repaja, a first-generation college student from Irving, is studying finance. She is applying to several Dallas-area universities for the fall semester, but she also is trying to get into an Ivy League school. In addition, she is involved with Asteria’s Explorers, an academic team that was chosen by NASA to submit a prototype of a device to help astronauts travel safely from the Orion spacecraft to the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle. Repaja is the public relations representative for the group. “I have a passion for math, but public relations is more of a natural talent for me,” she said. The team comprises students from North Lake, the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Texas at Dallas.
Repaja said she hopes to help other first-generation students with the challenges of going to college. “I’m a tutor at North Lake and work with high school students. I talk to them about going to college, but some kids don’t always have the right mindset for college,” she said. “I want to continue helping other students.”
Chavez, who lives in Dallas, said she wants to go to the University of Dallas, a private, Catholic institution. “They have a small student-to-teacher ratio, which I like. I took honors courses at Eastfield, and I got used to the small classes that had a limit of 10 students,” she said. She’s not sure what branch of medicine she wants to study, but she’s leaning toward cardiology. She was born in San Diego, Calif., and saw as a child the contrast between American and Mexican societies. Ever since then, the 21-year-old said she really wanted to help people.
Gallegos’ plan is to transfer to a four-year school this fall. He said his top choices are Texas A&M University, UTA and the University of East London. “My plans might change, but after I get my bachelor’s degree, I would like to work for a couple of years, then get a master’s in economics,” he explained. Eventually, the Red Oak resident would like to return to D.C. Gallegos added, “After I get my master’s, I want to get involved with the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas and then move to the head office in Washington or even work at the Treasury Department.”
All three students were thankful for the opportunity to travel to the capital and for the leadership provided by DCCCD’s chancellor, Dr. Joe May, as well as Dr. Justin Lonon, the district’s executive vice chancellor, and Isaac Faz, associate vice chancellor for p
