Members of the Seminole State College President’s Leadership Class attended a Virtual Higher Ed Day on March 9 in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center. The event featured four members of the Oklahoma State Legislature – Senator Zack Taylor (R- District 28), Senator Shane Jett (R-District 17), Representative Danny Williams (R- District 28) and Representative Dell Kerbs (R- District 26). The speakers spoke with students through video conferencing software, informing them of the current legislative session and answering their questions.

Higher Ed Day is generally held at the State Capitol annually. In an effort to safeguard community health, the event was held virtually this year. The event allows legislators to connect with campus and community leaders to share the value higher education has on workforce development and economic growth.

In addition to the virtual event, SSC also created a video to bolster awareness of Higher Ed Day. The video features interviews with three SSC students: DeAngelo Adkins of Edmond, Kelsey Edminsten of Okemah and Frances Scarlett Hunter of Earlsboro. Each student discusses how higher education has impacted their lives. The video can be viewed on SSC’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Senator Taylor was first elected to the state Senate in 2020 to represent District 28, which includes communities in Lincoln, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties. The Seminole Republican first served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2017-2019.

Senator Jett assumed office on Nov. 16, 2020. He serves District 17, which includes northern Pottawatomie County and eastern Oklahoma County. Previously, Senator Jett served six years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, becoming the first Republican to represent District 27.

Rep. Williams is a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, representing District 28. He assumed office on Nov. 16, 2020. He is from Seminole and represents Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties.

Rep. Kerbs represents District 26 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He first assumed office on Nov. 16, 2016 and was re-elected in November of 2020. He is from Shawnee and represents Pottawatomie County.

The SSC PLC is a two-year scholarship program created to help students develop leadership skills and provide personal and professional growth opportunities.

PLC students in attendance were Kandyce Davidson of Wewoka, Kelsey Edminsten of Okemah, Tiffany Maxey of Catoosa, Creed Watkins of Duncan, Pepe Casey of Owasso, Emily Dobbins of Broken Arrow, Brandon Gomez of Oklahoma City, Jenna Harrison of Shawnee, Jaycee Johnson of Paden, Landry Kyle of Oklahoma City, Kaitlyn Matlock of Lexington, Uriah McPerryman of Wetumka, Jaxon Pack of Wetumka, Carson Pierce of Edmond, Hannah Potter of Seminole, Zachary Shelton of Seminole, Cepado Wilkins, Jr. of Shawnee and Sydney Winchester of Prague.