Over the course of this campaign many students have raised their voices in support of my candidacy. Now let me raise mine in support of their efforts to gain voting privileges on the UMass Board of Trustees. Our students commit themselves to the UMass system where they become a central part of our community, from Lowell, Amherst, Boston, Worcester, and Dartmouth. They not only gain an education, but gain a home, most staying in Massachusetts for years after their graduation. It is unfair for us to deny them representation, preventing them from having a voice on important matters that affect them now and in the future. We cannot ask our students to shoulder the burdens of student loans and in the same breath tell them they do not have a voice in higher education’s affordability. I have the same goals as a governor as I do as a mother: I want our children to be educated here, thrive here, and stay here. To achieve this goal we have to allow students a seat at the table to provide them the opportunity and incentive to stay in Massachusetts long after theyve completed their UMass education.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 01:00:00 +0000