CICC Member Spotlight

As a first-generation college student, I recognize the importance of a postsecondary education and promoting access to educational opportunities for all. The Independent Colleges Caucus supports a broad array of institutions, including faith-based institutions, two-year colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, major research universities, and liberal arts institutions among others. These colleges’ collective commitment to educating first-generation college students, like myself, along with advancing critical research and education in fields such as agriculture, health care, and cybersecurity, is admirable. I am proud to be a legislative partner in these efforts.

Bucknell and Susquehanna Universities are outstanding, world-class institutions that I proudly represent in Congress. Bucknell has more than 56,000 alumni worldwide, although I have met many who remain in central Pennsylvania, and it consistently ranks among the top national liberal arts colleges. I am also proud that Bucknell ranks first among NCAA Division I institutions when it comes to its graduation success rate, showing its ongoing commitment to its hundreds of student-athletes. Susquehanna is a critical partner in its Snyder County community and likewise boasts an impressive alumni network and academic programs. As an example of Susquehanna’s importance to the local community, student volunteers are estimated to contribute more than 32,000 community service hours each year.

These institutions are engaged in groundbreaking research on a variety of topics. Susquehanna University, for example, hosts an annual Susquehanna’s Senior Scholars Day where students showcase the culmination of their years of study and research to the community. This year, student presentations included using radar to uncover lost buildings on campus, how humor impacts mental health, and the efficiency of a wind tunnel on campus. At Bucknell University, first-year engineering students can participate in a free, innovative Engineering EXCELerator program that gives them hands-on design projects, tailored mathematics courses, and hands-on physics laboratory experience right when they step on campus.

It is critical to continue supporting longstanding, bipartisan programs that help students access higher education and fund critical research. As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, I have long advocated for removing any barriers that exist to accessing education wherever they may be. Critically, we must also continue to equip students of all ages with the information necessary to make informed decisions about their educational futures. When students are provided proper, accurate, and comprehensive information about the opportunities available to them, they are able to choose programs that best match their career goals and help them succeed in life.