Social Work Students Advocate for Legislation at California’s Capitol
Christine Devine of FOX 11 reported on “Lobby Days” held recently in Sacramento, where college student delegations from various institutions filled the convention center to discuss laws related to welfare. On both Monday and last Sunday, these students gathered for this event. Alongside them was a group representing California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). This particular contingent comprised undergraduate as well as post-grad social work students. One of those present spoke about being part of “a new generation” who aim to lobby for the necessary legislation that benefits their communities. Brandon Nguyen, a 27-year-old CSULA student and first-generation college graduate, was among them. California State Representative Cory Jackson from the Inland Empire also graced this gathering as one of its speakers; he too is an ex-social worker.
Located just blocks away from where these students were meeting up at the convention center stood California’s state capitol building – a place where legislators vote on bills, such as those being backed by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Six specific proposals are currently under consideration here, two of which aim to make menstrual products more accessible. These Lobby Days events not only provide students with an opportunity to learn about and discuss legislation but also help them clarify their career paths – as Nancy Zelaya, a 30-year-old CSULA student who is currently pursuing her master’s in social work shared during the event. For more than a decade now, Professor Dr. Will Wong from CSULA has led his students to this annual gathering at California’s Capitol building.
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