POLICY ADVOCACY MISSION

To leave the world better than I found it, one policy at a time.

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

• Full Listing of Media Coverage
• Video Testimony
• Blog: In Defense of Our Future (Note: Embedded video best viewed outside of Safari)
• Research Papers (link to come)

BACKGROUND

As 2010-11 Vice President of the University of Washington Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS), it was my job to advocate for higher education, particularly graduate student interests, to the Washington state Legislature in Olympia.

During my term, I proposed the creation of what became Washington State Senate Bill 5795, “Regarding funding higher education child care grants,” which would create a funding mechanism for the Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Child Care Matching Grants program. Despite the state facing a $5.1 billion budget shortfall, the bill, prime-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, made it out of Ways & Means by a 19-2 vote. It was pulled from the Rules Committee and made eligible for a floor vote, but missed the cut-off deadline.

I have testified several times before various state legislative committees, and appeared in news coverage 22 times (19 in UW student newspaper The Daily, and 3 times in the Seattle Times).

Finally, I conducted a needs assessment of students with children at the University of Washington's Seattle campus, and used my findings to fuel advocacy efforts for that population on campus. I organized Students With Children Awareness Day on May 9, 2011, which featured a call to student-parents to bring their kids to class for a day to demonstrate to the university community just how many students — and children — are impacted by university childcare policies.

I am passionate about income inequities, social justice, education, veterans, and immigration issues.