Southeastern Student Government Association vice president James Quarles was among a group of students who made videos on issues of higher education to send to area legislators.
DURANT, Okla. – Students from Oklahoma’s state system institutions and members of the public higher education community across the state connected with area legislators Tuesday, March 9, during a virtual advocacy day to promote the value and importance of higher education in Oklahoma.
In lieu of in-person legislative office visits and a formal program at the State Capitol, state system colleges and universities sponsored a variety of virtual activities on Virtual Higher Education Day to allow students, campus personnel, and community leaders to safely engage with legislators to demonstrate the critical role of our state system of higher education in Oklahoma’s continued workforce development and economic growth.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University students participated in a number of ways, including meeting with state legislators during a zoom forum, and filming testimonial videos for social media about important issues facing higher education in Oklahoma.
Those Southeastern students who contributed videos were Carli Wharton, MeKenzie Cruz, James Quarles, Reagan Benson, Anna Antuono, and Jake Popowski.
“We thank the students, faculty and staff from our public colleges and universities and the community champions across the state who support our campuses for reaching out virtually to Oklahoma House and Senate members to highlight the value of a college degree,” said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “We look forward to working with Governor Stitt and the Legislature during this legislative session to demonstrate that our budget request for the state system of higher education is specifically designed to strengthen our state’s economy and workforce.”
