My Weekend with the Florida Student Association

This past weekend I had the opportunity to join several other State University System (SUS) Student Body Presidents at the most recent Florida Student Association (FSA) meeting in Jacksonville. 

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss several critical student issues and try to determine the best possible solutions for all Florida students. Being apart of FSA is significant because its Chairperson actually gets to serve on the Florida Board of Governors, allowing our interests to be directly represented.  

Currently I serve as the External Vice Chair which oversees the lobbying efforts of FSA and ensures all students’ voices are being heard in Tallahassee.

Items on our agenda included the feasibility of a four-year tuition freeze, sorting out the credit surcharge fees and CITF bonding. Additionally we discussed our D.C. Fly In and Rally in Tally, both events focused on lobbying our legislators on student issues.

I enjoy serving on FSA because it gives me a perfect forum to discuss the issues that UF students are having with other campus leaders who have dealt with similar things.

Members of the Florida Student Association

News From External Affairs: Senate Approves Stundet Loan Bill

One of the reasons I started this blog was to keep students as informed as possible. Below, see a press release from our External Affairs Chairwoman, Abby Whiddon. The release details an agreement the U.S. Senate has made in regards to student loans:

Washington, D.C.--The U.S. Senate has reached a bi-partisan agreement for a solution to student loan interest rate. The legislation approved Wednesday ties the loan’s interest rate to the market.

           Student Body President Christina Bonarrigo had told lawmakers that she hoped a long-term solution could be reached this year to give students financial stability and security, and is pleased with the bi-partisan solution.

            President Obama indicated he supported the bill’s passage early Wednesday, and in a later statement said, “This compromise is a major victory for our nation’s students.”

            The bill passed through the Senate by an 81-18 vote. It sets the 2014 fiscal year’s interest rate at 3.86 percent for undergraduate Stafford loans and 5.4 percent for graduate Stafford loans. To prevent unreasonable rates, a cap was placed at 8.25 for undergrads and 9.5 percent for graduates.

            The Senate’s version of the bill is likely to move to the House in the next week. Speaker Boehner said in a statement, “This bipartisan agreement is a victory for students, for parents and for our economy, and it is consistent with the House Republican bill passed in May.”

UF Utilizes D.C. Lobbyists

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!

The Value of Internships

Looking back on my time as an undergraduate, I have realized that one of the greatest experiences I was able to receive was through an internship I had with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Washington, D.C. 

Through my internship I learned how to act appropriately in a professional setting, write memos and briefs of meetings for circulation, network with people of diverse backgrounds and manage my work efficiently.

Although I am only at the beginning of my term as Student Body President I can already see how valuable the lessons I learned during my internship really are.

At UF we have many services, which can help you secure your perfect internship too. A great place to start is at the Career Resource Center located in the Reitz Union. The CRC can help you write cover letters, adjust your resume and match you with internships and jobs in your preferred field.

A new place to check for internships around Gainesville are in Facebook groups. The “Jobs & Internships” group is an example of a group which exists within Florida and is restricted to posting by those with valid Gatorlink emails, therefore this group is mostly student run and boasts new  postings every few hours spanning a variety of fields.

The value that internships can add to an undergraduate education are innumerable. Just yesterday, I spotted an online article from Sunshine State New stressing just this. To read this story, click on the following link, http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/college-students-who-served-internships-more-attractive-employers.

You never know who you will meet during your internships!
I had no idea I would ever meet Richard Gere!