October 9, 2026

The Students’ Voice

During Opening Week (September 16), I had a chance to sit with our new Events & Advocacy Board student team. This group represents the student voice at the Board of Trustees meetings, the College Advisory Council, and other work groups. As well, they provide dozens of programs throughout the year to keep our students engaged and improve the sense of belonging that we all care about.

I wanted to share some of the topics on their mind as the school year begins. I was impressed by the maturity and thoughtfulness of this group. I assured them that their issues are our issues as well. It is important that we are united with our students as they think about the world around us, their own futures, and the impact of their Cascadia education. The students want to be prepared navigate the issues of the day.

Elections & Inclusion

As election season hits full force and voter registration is upon us, sometimes non-US citizens get (or renew) their Washington driver’s license and can unintentionally be registered to vote. This puts them on the radar of immigration enforcement. This was one of their concerns. The rhetoric around who should belong in the United States and the hate that has emerged from this is top of mind for them. One student felt that empathy was lacking in our world and this was their foremost concern. With empathy, we could think about how to support the people around us instead of dividing them.

Financial Issues

The Federal government is suing the state of Washington about our use of WASFA, which is financial aid for undocumented students. Our students support this aid and want to make sure that all of their peers have the support they need to get an education.

As state budgets and the Efficiency Study impact community colleges, our students want to be prepared to help the state retain a healthy community college system. This includes making sure their student fee money (which supports their work) stays intact. Running Start students don’t pay this fee, but are some of the most frequent participants in our events. This means their budgets are stretched tight.

Transportation

As our transit agencies make changes or lack service, our students become impacted. There is concern over the August elimination of the 372 Metro Line, which cuts off a key route from UW Seattle through Roosevelt to Cascadia. As well, parents of Running Start student have reached out about the lack of direct access from the Redmond area. Our students hope to use their voice to influence these decisions.

These are just a few of the issues that rise to the top for our students. As I said, our students’ issues are our issues as well. Please continue to help encourage them in their work and provide the educational tools necessary for them to successfully self-advocate. Learning how to navigate and problem-solve these concerns is an important part of their education, and I feel confident that we can provide the support needed to learn this valuable skill.

Shoutouts

Congrats to our combined Cascadia and UWB Sustainability Teams. The campus has once again been certified with a Platinum rating from United by Nature – Green grounds! Our Grounds team practices organic land care throughout all campus grounds operations, including the maintenance of the 58-acres of restored wetland. Pesticide free initiatives include a robust integrated pest management policy and practice and go far beyond to include permaculture management. By intentionally building healthy soil and biotic communities we ensure that the plant (and animal) life on campus can thrive without the use of added synthetic fertilizers!

AND

I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to Jaspreet, Miles and Jack on the Facilities and Events team. I had the pleasure of working with them at Cascadia College this past weekend. You all made the event feel seamless, and I cannot say enough about how wonderful the communication and support were throughout the weekend.

You truly helped make our Centennial Conference and Celebration memorable by ensuring that everything came together behind the scenes. From AV support and managing our supplies to taking care of the facilities and making sure everything was clean, stocked, and ready to go, every detail was handled with such care and professionalism.

We have already received so much positive feedback about the space and the overall experience. That would not have been possible without the incredible support of you and your team.

Thank you again for everything you did to help make this special event such a success. We are incredibly grateful for your partnership and for all the work that went into making the weekend so memorable.

Remember, shoutouts can be sent to FLShoutout@cascadia.edu.