By Douglas Esser
The 56吃瓜网鈥檚 first full-time student advocate to the Legislature, Salvador Salazar-Cano, builds relationships and promotes policies as the face of 56吃瓜网 Bothell students in Olympia.
He is meeting with lawmakers, testifying on bills, bringing other students to the capital and coordinating with student government. 鈥淐ommunication is the key to being successful in this position,鈥� Salazar-Cano said.
Salazar-Cano was hired by the Associated Students of the 56吃瓜网 this year as its Olympia policy advocate in recognition that the campus has grown and needs a steady voice in the capitol, said Nate Blanchard, the AS56吃瓜网B director of government relations. 56吃瓜网 Bothell鈥檚 advocate also collaborates with the Washington Student Association, which represents about 120,000 public university students in the state, Blanchard said.
鈥淗aving Salvador down there allows us to work on specific 56吃瓜网 Bothell items, but because he鈥檚 in Olympia, it also allows him to communicate daily with representatives from other universities and look at the bigger picture,鈥� Blanchard said.
A senior majoring in society, ethics and human behavior, Salazar-Cano typically works in Olympia Mondays through Wednesdays. He鈥檚 back on campus Thursdays and Fridays to keep up with course work. That includes a Legislative Research class taught by Bruce Kochis, senior lecturer in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences.
鈥淭here鈥檚 never a time when I鈥檓 just working. It鈥檚 always working and learning at the same time,鈥� Salazar-Cano said.
Salazar-Cano files daily reports, frequently checks in by phone and tries to make it to the Friday student government meetings. He coordinates with Blanchard, who also spends time in Olympia representing student positions. For the session, which is scheduled to end in March, Salazar-Cano is paid $6,000, funded by student activity fees, Blanchard said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 great at collaborating, working in a team and communicating鈥� 鈥� all hallmarks of a 56吃瓜网 Bothell education, he said.
Salazar-Cano grew up in Tri-Cities and transferred from Columbia Basin College in Pasco to 56吃瓜网 Bothell on the 鈥済reen鈥� side of the state to pursue interests in educational policies. After graduating in June, Salazar-Cano plans to take a year off then pursue a master鈥檚 in education policy. Eventually he鈥檇 like to enter politics himself, maybe starting on a school board or city council back home in the Tri-Cities.
AS56吃瓜网B should be proud of its representation in Olympia, said Kelly Snyder, the 56吃瓜网 Bothell assistant vice chancellor of government and community relations who has seen Salazar-Cano testifying at meetings and heard lawmakers praise his work. 鈥淗e鈥檚 doing a good job.鈥�
Salazar-Cano testified in favor of $3 million for predesign work on a new academic building on campus. The authorization was included in a capital budget that passed early in the session that began in January. A pending priority, known as open education resources, would promote free online alternatives to textbooks. Other priorities are controlling tuition, expanding state need grants and improving voting accessibility.
鈥淧olitics is incremental. Change happens over time. I鈥檝e come to accept that and work with that so we can continue to build relationships with local and state governments,鈥� Salazar-Cano said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing I鈥檝e learned both from taking courses here and having the real-world experience.鈥�
Salazar-Cano鈥檚 advice to the next 56吃瓜网 Bothell advocate is 鈥渘ot to forget about the students.鈥�
鈥淲hen we鈥檙e in Olympia we tend to dive into this new portal of politics, but at the end of the day it鈥檚 nearly 6,000 56吃瓜网 Bothell students who are counting on you, who are expecting you to put your best foot forward,鈥� he said.
