OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan – Oakland Community College’s student government team, SA3, finished in the top ten in a national campus competition called “Up to Us.” The national competition pitted OCC’s team against 75 other colleges. The objective of the competition was for collegiate student leaders to raise awareness and engagement on America's fiscal challenges.
Oakland Community College (OCC), first place winner Jackson State University, and the other top ten finalists were recognized at the 2017 Peter G. Peterson Fiscal Summit in Washington D.C. on May 23. The event featured meetings with Senator John McCain, U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Kevin Brady, Bernie Sanders and other national leaders.
OCC's SA3 team is the official student governing body of the Oakland Community College. The purpose of SA3 is to promote student participation in campus activities, decision-making processes, commitment to individual responsibilities, procedures and bylaws of the College.
The winning team was led by Analine Morales, president of the SA3 Oakland Community College Auburn Hills Student Government. Team members included: Morales; Farzana Hoque, SA3 vice president; Alyssa Garcia-Lizardi, treasurer; Adam Owczarzak, public relations chair; Caitlyn Webster, secretary and co-advisors Jessica Lizardi and Jeff Farrah.
The group will be further recognized by former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) annual meeting in Massachusetts later this year.
"We are very proud of Analine and her team for leading these efforts and developing a campaign that had great impact and reached so many members of our student body," said OCC Student Development Coordinator Jessica Lizardi. "More than 500 students across all OCC campuses signed a pledge to become more aware about our national debt and understand how students' economic futures could be affected."
"This experience has helped me to grow as a leader," said Morales. "It has helped me to know how to better communicate how important the fiscal issues are for our future."
OCC students were also featured in a national promotional video for Up to Us, 2016-17.
About OCC
With multi campus system throughout Oakland County, Oakland Community College is committed to providing academic and developmental experiences that allows each student to reach their full potential and enhance the diverse communities they serve. A fully accredited college, OCC offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields and university transfer degrees in business, science and the liberal arts. More than a million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965.
About Up to Us
Since its inception five years ago, the nonpartisan Up to Us initiative has grown into a groundswell of student activists who have engaged more than 100,000 people to raise awareness on the national debt through creative campaigns and activities. This year, students from more than 75 colleges and universities across the country participated in competition activities that let their peers and policymakers know that the country cannot afford to wait to address its fiscal challenges.
Media Contact: Bridget M. Kavanaugh | Marketing & Communications | (248) 341-2020 | bmkavana@oaklandcc.edu