SCCC students 'lobby' 24th District legislators to protect college funding

TRENTON — Seven Sussex County Community College students made a pitch to state legislators from the 24th District to keep community college funding in mind when considering budgeting in the future. The occasion was the NJ Community College Student Lobbying Day in mid-March.
Held in Trenton on a day when legislators were conducting assembly and senate business, the SCCC students met with all three legislators from the district, Assemblyman Parker Space, Assemblywoman Gail Phoebus, and State Senator Steve Oroho.
Earlier, they heard from Speaker of the Assembly Vincent Prieto, during the community college welcoming address. Dozens of students throughout New Jersey represented the 19 community colleges.
The SCCC students who made the trek to Trenton were Jonathan Finocchiaro, Frank Wallace, Phil Andujar, Jason Boehm, Sarah Jaramillo, John Sheldon and Jay Christy. Michael DeVilliers, Veteran Services Coordinator at SCCC, joined the students for the event.
Wallace, a sophomore from Wantage, noted that he had met Sen. Oroho before, but summed up the difference for the rest of the students. "It was different being in Trenton and talking to him and the others, seeing where they conduct business," Wallace said.