On Wednesday, Hiram College seniors James Workman and Natalie Bendel participated in AICUO Lobby Day in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Workman and Bendel met with state legislators and talked about the importance of private education in Ohio and their experiences at Hiram. They also spoke about the importance of the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, a need-based grant provided by the state government to help students attend college. The students met with State Senator John Eklund (R-Munson Twp.), State Representative Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent), and had lunch with State Representative Sarah LaTourette (R-Chesterland), as well as influential staffers in other offices. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting with Jen Stack, Hiram class of 1990, who is now a Legislative Aide to Representative Teresa Fedor.
The trip was part of the annual AICUO Independent College Day. AICUO is the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Ohio, a group that represents the interests of its 51 members to Ohio’s lawmakers, regulators, and citizens. They conduct public relations, research, and government relations for its members. The Hiram students were accompanied by Ed Frato-Sweeney, Director of Residential & Citizenship Education.
