Students advocate for university initiatives at UHCL Day at the Capitol

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A delegation of about 45 University of Houston-Clear Lake students, faculty, staff,  alumni and UH System leaders traveled to Austin to engage with state legislators on behalf of the university during the new legislative session this week. Legislators declared March 7 “University of Houston-Clear Lake Day at the Capitol Day." 

District 29  Rep.  Ed Thompson and District 129 Rep.  Dennis Paul met with students and administrators and spoke about the importance of university students connecting with legislators and communicating their priorities in person. 

The UH-Clear Lake Day at the Capitol event, which occurs every biennium, is a unique civic engagement opportunity and allows UHCL ambassadors to share the impact of the university’s efforts with legislators, with the goal of continuing to secure the needed funding for its upcoming priorities, which include increasing financial aid through funding to Texas Grants, expansion funding, and comprehensive regional university funding. The delegation broke into groups and visited the offices of over 25 legislators to advocate for these initiatives. 

Nancy Arellano, a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, is part of UHCL’s Student Government Executive Council and was among the student delegates on the trip.

 “Advocating for UHCL is a way to actively leave an imprint on the people we were able to reach,” Arellano said. “Sharing our involvement, our achievement and our goals for the future with our state representatives and their staff keeps them informed that the funding we receive goes toward the growth of the whole student body. We students are the living testimonies of UHCL and in order to be recognized, we need to stay active in supporting our university.”