FIU and advocates get to work in 112th Congress

The start of the 112th Congress in Washington, D.C., has been a busy one for FIU and its advocates.

During last week’s swearing-in activities, a delegation of FIU’s alumni and friends welcomed returning champions back to Capitol Hill and were a part of the welcoming ceremonies for newly elected Senator Marco Rubio, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Congressman David Rivera, FIU’s second alumnus in Congress.

FIU leaders and staff got right to work, meeting with Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart about the importance of maintaining Pell Grant funding. Diaz-Balart now serves on the key House Appropriations Committee and will play a role in future funding decisions. These grants are a critical source of financial aid for low-income families in South Florida, including more than 13,000 FIU undergraduate students who received more than $58 million in grants during the last academic year. Student Government Association BBC President Cici Battle was there representing FIU students.

FIU and its advocates continue to promote the university’s 2011 agenda by educating the South Florida Congressional delegation about the critical nature of the university’s research priorities and their impact on economic development and job creation in the region. One important meeting took place with the staff of incoming House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica to promote FIU’s partnership with the University of Central Florida on a collaborative research designation focused on multi-modal transportation and high-speed rail.

Earlier this week, students from the FIU College of Architecture + The Arts learned the importance of alliances in advocating for a cause as they joined Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in hosting a Congressional Briefing to raise awareness on issues relating to human trafficking. This briefing was one of Ros-Lehtinen’s first acts as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The panel was moderated by FIU student Michelle Antelo and coordinated in partnership with national leaders from the Polaris Project, Shared Hope International and Courtney’s House. Following a keynote by Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, the event included an excerpt of the staged reading, Body + Sold, which was performed by FIU students later that evening at the historic John F. Kennedy Center.

The FIU Washington, D.C., Office also welcomed new intern Zac Ruiz, a finance major and former U. S. Marine with a passion for veterans issues. With FIU having one of the largest student-veteran populations in Florida, Ruiz hopes to take the lead nationally on behalf of student veterans while he is in D.C.

Check out some of the week’s activities in two videos and a Flickr slideshow from the folks in FIU’s Washington, D.C., Office:

For more information about FIU’s presence in Washington, D.C, contact the FIU Washington, D.C., Office.

Follow the work of the D.C. Office on Twitter:  @FIUdc

Click here to learn more about the FIU Washington, D.C., internship.