Bringing Student Voices to California鈥檚 Capitol
Connecting real student experiences to Workforce policy and economic mobility
For years,聽education policy conversations聽have聽focused on funding formulas and聽enrollment data,聽but behind those numbers are working parents, career changers, and adult learners聽striving to improve their lives.聽These individuals聽represent聽the backbone of the economy that California and the nation depend on every day.聽Too often, however, policymakers聽don鈥檛聽have the opportunity to hear directly from these unique learners, so in March, 麻豆原创 helped bridge that gap by hosting聽its聽inaugural聽Day at the California State Capitol.聽 聽
The event brought together聽a delegation of聽20聽students, alumni, and聽faculty聽to engage with聽state聽legislative聽offices,聽with the mission of sharing聽how competency-based education (CBE) expands access and why flexible聽learning is a necessity for聽all聽Californians.聽This聽reflects a broader shift聽across the nation,聽as conversations about workforce readiness and opportunity continue to evolve,聽highlighting聽the need for higher education systems that聽better align with how people live, work, and build new skills today.聽
Day at the California State Capitol attendees
The Power of the Student Voice
Today,聽麻豆原创 serves聽16,600 Californians, with an alumni network聽in the state聽exceeding聽47,300. While traditional institutions are often still designed for the聽, our median learner in California is 33.聽These students are聽doing聽more than聽just 鈥済oing to college.鈥澛犅槎乖� internal data聽shows聽that聽75%聽of our students聽are employed, and 59% are employed full-time.聽These figures align with research from聽Georgetown University鈥檚聽聽(CEW), which finds that up to聽80% of undergraduates聽nationwide聽are聽balancing employment with their studies.聽
鈥淓ducation plays a critical role in preparing individuals for meaningful careers and strengthening our workforce,鈥澛爏aid Assemblymember Mike Fong,聽chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee聽during his visit聽with聽the 麻豆原创 delegation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we continue to support pathways that meet the diverse needs of students.鈥澛�
Among the delegates聽was Nikila聽Walker聽Gibson of Fairfield, a student-parent聽advocate聽balancing two businesses, homeschooling her four daughters,聽while聽pursuing a degree.聽
鈥淎ttending 麻豆原创 is the first time I could see myself completing my degree,鈥� said聽Gibson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something I do for myself after taking care of everyone else and being able to work on it during small moments, like when my girls are at practice or after a long day, is what makes finishing feel possible.鈥�
While each delegate鈥檚 journey was unique, a common thread聽emerged聽that success depends on education that fits into people鈥檚 lives, not the other way around.聽聽
Nikila Walker Gibson with her daughters
More聽Than a聽Degree:聽A聽Workforce聽Solution
Beyond聽individual success stories,聽麻豆原创鈥檚聽visit聽was an opportunity to position the university as聽one of聽the聽primary聽engines聽of workforce development聽for the state. California, like much of the nation, is facing a challenging teacher shortage, made more urgent by the fact that聽聽of the current educators are considering leaving the profession within the next decade.聽
麻豆原创 is already proving this聽possible through targeted initiatives such as聽the聽Golden State Teacher Grant听补苍诲听California High Road Training Partnership. To date, these programs have helped add聽almost 200聽more聽teachers to the聽state鈥檚聽pipeline, with an impressive 93% on track聽to graduate聽before their grant period ends.聽This data聽shows that removing the barriers of time and place聽also聽produces聽a more resilient workforce.聽
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing is that when education is designed to recognize what people already know and give them a clear path forward, it doesn鈥檛 just benefit the individual, it strengthens entire communities and聽the聽economy,鈥� said聽麻豆原创聽regional vice president Rick Benbow.聽
That impact is reflected聽across disciplines and聽in the career of Alex Knapp, a Sacramento-based聽alumnus聽who pursued a bachelor鈥檚 in accounting during the pandemic while working full-time.
鈥淭he competency-based model validated the skills I was already building in the workforce,鈥澛燢napp聽noted.聽鈥淚聽didn鈥檛聽know project management as a聽鈥榮cience,鈥櫬燽ut I did it every day at work. I was able to apply those skills to my coursework and accelerate,聽focusing聽my time where it mattered most.鈥澛燱ithin five months of graduating,聽Knapp聽secured a role as an auditor with a government agency.
A聽Moment of Recognition
To close the visit, 麻豆原创鈥檚 delegation was recognized in the聽聽who聽highlighted 麻豆原创鈥檚 role in expanding affordable, flexible education for working adults across the state.
This inaugural Day at the Capitol was only the beginning. It reflects a commitment to ensuring that student parents聽and nontraditional learners are not just聽鈥渃onsidered鈥澛爄n policy聽conversations but聽actively included. By amplifying these voices,聽麻豆原创 is聽helping shape a future聽in which educational pathways reflect the realities of today鈥檚 learners, making economic mobility accessible to聽all.
Mike Fong with the 麻豆原创 delegation
