Seward County Community College administrators and members of the Board of Trustees headed to Topeka to meet with legislators and discuss the importance of SB 155, at the annual Higher Education Day hosted at the state capitol.

Dr. Ken Trzaska, Dr. Todd Carter, Celeste Donovan, Travis Combs, Annette Hackbarth-Onson and J.J. Widener, along with trustees John Engel and Marvin Chance Jr. shared information about SCCC with legislators and visitors to the Capitol.

“Higher Education Day gave members of our SCCC employee team and board of trustee members an opportunity to visit with statewide legislators,” said Trzaska, SCCC presidemt. “It allowed us to express our concerns and remind them not only of the challenges we face but the good work that we do as an institution and community. ”

Several meetings converged in Topeka, including Higher Education Day and a Workforce Summit. At both meetings, SCCC representatives ocused conversation with state legislators on SB 155, which funds tuition for many SCCC students enrolled concurrently in area high schools.

“We visited with several representatives and state senators,” said Donovan, vice president of student services at SCCC. “I think we met our objective, which was to show how SB 155 is important to our community and students.”

Donovan said that the legislators were more than willing to listen,but reluctant to make a commitment.

Carter’s time in Topeka focused on the Kansas Workforce Summit, which reflects statewide priorities for students at all levels.

“(We talked Sen. Bud Estes) about full funding for SB 155 and how important that is for workforce development,” said Carter, vice president of academic affairs at SCCC. “We have a lot of students that take advantage of that and get their current technical ed degrees and certificates through that program. (Estes) was very supportive of that.”

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