Allison Bucca was confident her simple message was heard: Keep funding my school.
Bucca, a sophomore at Howard Community College, and nine fellow students spoke with state Sens. Allan Kittleman, R-Howard, and James Robey, D-Howard, at Student Advocacy Day on Wednesday at the State House in Annapolis.
“It was just a great experience to see these people in action and working so hard to help us and we don?t even realize it,” she said.
Bucca was one of several hundred students from Maryland?s 16 community colleges to attend the annual event, which included community college presidents.
“From what they said, they seemed to be supportive of us,” Bucca said.
Students asked the lawmakers to protect the proposed increase in capital funding for community colleges in the upcoming budget, said Randy Bengfort, Howard Community College spokesman.
Gov. Martin O?Malley?s proposed fiscal 2009 capital budget includes $81 million for all 16 community colleges.
HCC could receive $7.9 million for capital projects, including renovations at the James Clark Jr. Library Building.
At Anne Arundel Community College, students supported increased state funding for a $13.8 million renovation project at its Careers Building, said Susan Gross of the college?s public relations and marketing office.
