By Diana Scott

Twelve Carroll students traveled to Annapolis to participate in Student Advocacy Day.

For the first time, groups of students from all 16 Maryland community colleges joined together for Maryland Community College Student Advocacy Day in Annapolis. Held during national community college week, the students had appointments with their Delegates and Senators in order to voice their views about higher education and the state budget cuts now facing all Maryland community colleges. Altogether, over 250 community college students gathered in Annapolis on February 13th.

Carroll's delegation consisted of twelve students, college president Dr. Faye Pappalardo, and several college administrators. After attending the legislative session in the galleries of the House and Senate, Carroll students met with Senator Larry E. Haines, and Delegates Carmen Amedori, Donald B. Elliott, Joseph M. Getty, and Nancy R. Stocksdale.

In their noon meeting, students pointed out that community colleges educate 53 percent of Maryland's undergraduate students and that 87 percent of community college graduates are employed in Maryland. Each member of the Carroll student group had an opportunity to speak to the value of a Carroll Community College education as they were experiencing it in their own lives. They spoke of open access, affordability, small class size, maintaining state-of-the-art technology, and personalized instruction. They expressed concern that these important elements of the community college mission might be lost without the customary, formula-driven level of state funding. The students also expressed concern about the state's possible postponement of construction of the Nursing and Allied Health Building.

The students explained that the Carroll County healthcare community was counting on the college to prepare the nursing and allied health employees desperately needed in the county and region.

Pictured with Carroll students are college president Faye Pappalardo, Delegate Donald Elliott, Senator Larry Haines, Delegate Nancy Stocksdale, Delegate Joseph Getty, and Delegate Carmen Amedori.

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