Having held over 100 meetings with Congressional offices and representing 25 states, members who attended the National College Attainment Network’s (NCAN) 2024 Advocacy Training and Hill Day pounded the marble advocating for improved college access and affordability policies on Capitol Hill. Not only did participants include college access professionals and state agency leaders, but numerous
high school and college students attended and shared their personal stories about the barriers they faced (and continue to face) accessing and affording college.
Students’ voices are incredibly powerful, and this is especially true when advocating for NCAN’s policy priorities like doubling the Pell Grant and meeting students' basic
needs. NCAN spoke with student advocates Camryn Bailey and Meliah Bell, who represented the Carolina Youth Coalition (CYC) and are now first-year students at Howard University, to
capture their thoughts, experiences, and inspirations in anticipation of Hill Day.
CYC propels high-achieving, under-resourced students to and through college by providing holistic, grade-level support in high school and fostering community among students and mentors. Camryn and Meliah attribute programs like CYC to their successful
transition from high school to college. Through CYC, they found mentors and networking opportunities early on which supported them in their transition to college.
Note: quotes have been edited for clarity.
What are you advocating for today at NCAN’s Hill Day?
Camryn and Meliah hoped to advocate for greater support and representation for students who might not find themselves on a linear pathway to a postsecondary education. While some of their peers knew exactly how and where they were going to attend college,
they know that’s not the case for everyone. Many students face challenges when it comes to not seeing themselves represented in their desired careers, and they lack access to resources in high school that will help them obtain higher education. Being
the representation for others has motivated Camryn and Meliah to continue to advocate for college access programs and policies that will increase diversity within their careers and higher education.
Camryn: “The path to an education isn’t as easy it seems. For some, college is the natural step forward, but for many, this isn’t the case. There are factors that might challenge one’s pathway to college. We must do more to support these students.”
Meliah: “As a woman in STEM, when I was child, I didn’t see people who looked like me in the field. If you asked me a year ago if I would be coding, I would have told you no. But when I had someone guiding me, telling me I was capable, I felt like it was the right path for me.”
For Camryn and Meliah, Hill Day provided an opportunity to be the representation they’ve longed to be. It’s a moment where their passion is met at the biggest stage in the country. For Camryn, advocacy plays a big role in her desire to find solutions
for the problems she sees. She stated that an opportunity like Hill Day to directly impact and solve issues at the federal is not often offered to all students.
As you engage in meetings with lawmakers today, are there stories or people in mind that you are hoping to advocate for?
For Camryn and Meliah, their family and community were at the top of their minds as they set foot on Capitol Hill. They hope to break the cycles of poverty that are present in their communities and lean on their family values to become powerful and authentic
voices.
Camryn: “My why and North Star has always been my community - the people in rural South Carolina where my family is that have not received the opportunities, resources, or representation to experience economic mobility.”
Meliah: “Redemption, Relationships, Responsibility, Resilience. These values my family instilled in me as a child motivate me as I advocate for others. It is my responsibility to advocate for justice. My parents and their journey to obtain an education are on my mind.”
What is your advice to students new to advocacy?
Camryn and Meliah both mention that passion and knowing your values will make one successful in advocacy. It’s not about being perfect and knowing everything about the problem. It’s about being intentional and knowing why you are advocating for your cause.
Both students expressed that they were feeling nervous as Hill Day approached, but their excitement to learn overshadowed any doubts. To make the most impact, they recommend that students new to advocacy be grounded in their story and their why.
Camryn: “Passion will bring fire into what you’re doing. It’s easier to make progress when you have passion, and you are your authentic self.”
Meliah: “Don’t be discouraged when you’re nervous, and don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on your journey - as your story will impact others in a unique way.”
What do you hope to bring back to campus?
From this experience, Camryn and Meliah are bringing back new tools, knowledge, and a spirit of curiosity to campus. Aside from the formal advocacy tools they are gaining, Hill Day motivated Camryn and Meliah to go back to their university and continue
to ask about students’ campus needs and to challenge the status quo.
Camryn: “I’m hoping to advocate for policies, programs, and practices at Howard [University] that help the transition from high school to college for students of all backgrounds.”
Meliah: “This won’t be the last time I will be advocating. I will continue speaking to department chairs, administration, and students to bring awareness to what Howard [University] needs for everyone to succeed.”
Meliah and Camryn recognize that advocating for systems change is a daunting and slow process. However, that does not discourage them from continuing to serve other students and to create pathways that make access to education easier for the next generations.
Meliah recalled a story of completely changing the mindset of college for high school students simply by sharing her own story. She closed by explaining that she doesn’t need to have an immediate, world-changing impact right now, but if she can change
one student’s world at a time, she’ll eventually change the world for students.
Many activities in the college access and attainment space happen for students, but political advocacy is something organizations and programs can do with students. In front of elected officials, students' views and voices operate alongside the expert
practitioners who care so much about students' postsecondary futures and the policies that affect them. Students' stories and experiences operate in tandem with the policy research and data in a way that is more effective than either component alone.
NCAN is grateful to these students who gave their time, energy, and enthusiasm to our collective Hill Day effort, and we will continue to seek more opportunities for these students to claim their rightful seat at the table in our nation's halls of
power.
Special thanks to Alessandra Cipriani-Detres and Bill DeBaun for their contributions to this article.
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