Pictured (left to right): U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, RCSJ graduates Jesus Calixto and Miriam Craig-Venti.​​

南泽西州罗文学院(RCSJ)的两名毕业生Miriam Craig-Venti和Jesus Calixto参与了这项研究 a roundtable discussion regarding college affordability 其中包括7月16日星期五美国教育部部长米格尔·卡多纳. 出席会议的还有当地领导人和政要.S. Congressman Donald Norcross, RCSJ President Frederick J. Keating, Rowan University President Ali A. 霍什曼德和威尼斯人注册县专员主任罗伯特·达明格说.

这次特别的活动在位于威尼斯人注册校区的RCSJ护理和健康专业中心举行. 

卡多纳部长赞扬了RCSJ和罗文大学之间的伙伴关系, 除了表彰两位学生代表取得的显著成绩外.

“我很高兴来到这里，我很高兴开始我的一天，参观学生的行动, learning by doing, which is the best way," said the Secretary of Education. “他们正在学习加入劳动力市场以实现人生目标的技能. And that's what this is about."

Craig-Venti和Calixto被邀请分享他们在社区大学学习时的个人成功故事. 他们还代表RCSJ学生团体发言，努力提高人们对所有人都能负担得起大学学费的价值和重要性的认识. 

“I was eligible for up to $30,000 for tuition and books," said Craig-Venti, who, after being let go from her accounting job, 通过贸易调整援助(TAA)计划接受援助，该计划是根据2015年《威尼斯人会员注册》设立的联邦计划. 

“我决定在RCSJ的威尼斯人注册校区就读社区大学, 我不仅可以完成我的副学士学位所需的核心课程, 但很多课程都是威尔明顿大学四年制学位课程的一部分, and were easily transferable," explained Craig-Venti, who is currently immersed in an accelerated academic plan.

“在坎伯兰，我们有一个名为CB2R(坎伯兰桥2罗文)的项目。. It's a grant for biomedical science students," said Calixto, 谁曾获教育机会基金资助, as well as a couple of well-earned scholarships. “我有一个很棒的机会在坎伯兰大学做本科研究. 现在，我要转到罗文大学，我也将在那里做本科研究."

For Craig-Venti and Calixto, 他们都参加了今年春天早些时候举行的RCSJ毕业生游行仪式, the experience of conversing with Cardona, Keating and the rest of the dynamic panel was incredible. 

“I was beside myself," said Calixto, 谁的使命是为干细胞和再生研究的进步做出积极的贡献. “我很高兴听到卡多纳部长说RCSJ和罗文大学建立的格式是一颗‘隐藏的宝石’，必须要知道."  

“我必须承认，一开始感觉有点吓人，”克雷格-文蒂承认. “Then the feeling changed to excitement! I couldn't wait to share my experience with everyone."

学生们并没有把这个代表RCSJ在大学校长和知名政治领袖面前的独特机会视为理所当然.

“我很自豪能成为RCSJ学生和毕业生的代表，因为我认真对待我的教育," said Craig-Venti. “我相信他们会同意我的看法，RCSJ为他们提供了接受威尼斯人会员注册所需的跳板，而无需承担沉重的学生贷款责任带来的额外精神压力。."

所有出席会议的人，特别是我们的两位RCSJ大使，都吸取了宝贵的教训. 

“我了解到教育过程对基廷总统和胡什曼德总统有多么重要," said Craig-Venti, the mother of a six-year-old daughter. “Hearing about the strategies they worked on before, during, 尽管对大流行之后[可能出现的情况]的规划令人印象深刻. The most impressive vision I heard Dr. 基廷提到的是社区大学校园未来住房的可能性."

“我们的行动是响亮的，我们制造的噪音被听到了，”卡利克斯托说. “因此，我们有责任继续努力工作，并发出更大的声音."

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