Polk State student leaders visit Tallahassee to meet elected officials, advocate for College

For three days this month, Polk State College students made the trip to Tallahassee for an endeavor that brought state government and student government together.

Six Polk State Student Government Association (SGA) members and two advisors made the trek to Florida’s capital city from Feb. 10 through 12 for the Florida College System Student Government Association (FCSSGA) Advocacy Conference and more. The purpose of the trip was to network with other students from throughout the Florida College System, meet with elected representatives, and advocate for things important to the college students.

“It was nice to interact with other state colleges here in Florida,” said Tray Simmons, SGA Secretary for the Lakeland Campus. “I learned a lot that I can bring back to our campus. After the trip, I want to interact with our students more.”

“In talking with other SGAs, I realized there are a lot of different ways to interact with our students,” added Sebastian Cardenas, SGA Chief of Staff for the Winter Haven Campus. “I’m going to spend more time talking with students in the halls, carry a smile, and let them know what’s going on around campus.”

“My biggest takeaway was just to be more in tune with your community,” explained Mi’kiyah Rucker, SGA Lakeland Campus Historian and FCSSGA Region 2 Secretary. “I met with many different people and developed connections with people from different campuses – even within my school. Together, many people were able to give ideas, pose important questions, and enlighten me on things I otherwise wouldn’t have been aware of.”

The key item that SGA advocated for was funding for the Polk State Haines City-Davenport Campus. Pending funding, the new campus will open for the Fall 2026 Semester. Located in the fastest-growing area of Polk County, the 75,000-square-foot facility will include Central Florida’s first public higher education interdisciplinary simulation hospital. In addition to a focus on health sciences, the campus will include hospitality and tourism management, supply chain and logistics, teacher education, and courses for the Associate in Arts degree.

“Many people don’t realize what SGA is all about,” said Aaliyah Jones, SGA President for the Polk State Lakeland Campus. “It’s more than just events. Being able to have a say statewide is really important.”

Assisted by College Lobbyist Keaton Alexander Griffin, Polk State’s SGA students met with Florida Rep. Jon Albert, Sen. Colleen Burton, Rep. Jennifer Canady, and Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson.

“It was a real pleasure to meet them,” Cardenas noted. “It was eye-opening how busy they really are. We didn’t have much time with them, but we learned so much.”

“It was an awesome experience talking to the different representatives,” Simmons explained. “Rep. Jon Albert is ex-military like me. He didn’t plan on being in politics, but sort of got thrown into the fire. You realize they’re just regular people like you and me.”

Like Simmons, Jones also found it enlightening how much they had in common with the elected officials.

“We got to see them as everyday people and interact with them one-on-one,” Jones reflected. “These are the people who advocate for us. Their journeys are quite detailed. It was cool getting to know their background. They’re from some of the same schools we are. Canady is a Kathleen High School graduate like me. I’m a business major and a lot of them are entrepreneurs.”

In addition to Cardenas, Jones, Rucker, and Simmons, Winter Haven Campus SGA President and Vice President Ian Rosado and Marianella Torres also made the trip. They were accompanied by Amanda Paige-Morris, SGA Advisor and Coordinator for Polk State’s Student Activities and Leadership Office (SALO), and Anthony Bates, SALO Program Assistant.

“It was great perspective for our students,” Paige-Morris said. “Jennifer Canady, for example, is the first female Speaker of the (Florida House of Representatives). She knows how important her role is, but she’s still very humble. For her to serve in that capacity and still be an educator at Lakeland Christian School and a mom was a great story for our students to hear.”

During the trip, Cardenas and Rucker were recognized with their “wings” – a pin given to SGA students statewide who complete the FCSSGA Leadership Training program. The program consists of six core courses in three categories and a Capstone session.

“One thing I found important about the trip was just to make connections and know what’s going on,” Rucker said. “I find many people around me have this mindset that since they are one person that they don’t have the ability to make change like the representatives I met. But I realized that these representatives have teams – people from all walks of life – who have the main goal of helping others.”

Overall, the students were grateful for the opportunity.

“Thanks to (Polk State College Chief of Staff Tamara Sakagawa) for helping put this together,” Jones concluded. “It was great to network, see our friends get recognized, meet our representatives, and advocate for our college.”