We are excited to have a whole new “class” of Think College Policy Advocates; this is the fourth group of policy advocates and each one has been just a bit different. These nine teams will attend online and in-person training to learn about disability policy and advocacy. The training culminates in Hill visits with legislators in Washington, DC, where they’ll put those advocacy skills to work.
This year’s participants are a diverse group from around the country:
Joseph Louisell & Kate Strater from Calvin University (Michigan)
Juliet Loria & Jacklyn Masiello from Coastal Carolina University (South Carolina)
Cobey Meyer & Olivia Sullivan from The College of New Jersey (New Jersey)
Hong "Ruby" Chieu & Arijana York from University of Kansas (Kansas)
Hutch Pharr & Jade Viator from University of Louisiana – Lafayette (Louisiana)
Jaylin Brown and Wen Zeng from University of Missouri - St. Louis (Missouri)
Savy Walker and Emily Jackman from University of New Hampshire (New Hampshire)
Jessica Wright and Anna Sisson from Utah Valley University (Utah)
Mia Crump & Malachi Chukwu from Washington State University (Washington)
Each TCPA team is paired with a coach to support them during the training, and the coaches come from all over, too! The coaches and teams will gather together for a couple of days to learn about disability policy and different ways to advocate before heading to Capitol Hill to talk with their state representatives about inclusive postsecondary education, employment, housing, and other disability-related issues.
Check the Think College Policy Advocates page updates about what this group is up to!