Recently topics in the U.S. Congress have had their
roots in higher education. As the Student Body President for the state’s
flagship university I believe that one of our duties as a Student Government is
to represent our students in Washington, D.C. during this critical time.
In 1992, SG established External Affairs, an agency charged
lobbying on behalf of UF students. Since 2012, the External Affairs agency has
been aided in lobbying efforts through the help of the professional lobbying
firm, Cardenas Partners.
Cardenas helps us reach out to officials allowing us
opportunities to defend against loan rate hikes, protect Pell Grants, provide
education benefits to our large student veteran community and fight for STEM
visas.
This week the Huffington Post even published an article
titled, “University of Florida Students’ Lobbying Firm Helps Put Issues In Front Of Congress.” The article describes how and why professional lobbyists
are important to us.
Additionally, if you are interested in helping impact the
State University System (SUS), there are many jobs in D.C. open for you to
consider. One in particular is as a Fellow for the SUS. Responsibilities range
from attending hearings and bill markups to arranging and organizing meetings
in Congressional offices.
Remember just because Gainesville is a long way away from
Washington does not mean that our efforts and opinions do not matter!
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