{"id":23060,"date":"2023-02-17T14:37:04","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T19:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2023\/02\/17\/student-trustee-shares-her-story-in-washington-d-c\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:30:05","slug":"student-trustee-shares-her-story-in-washington-d-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2023\/02\/17\/student-trustee-shares-her-story-in-washington-d-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Trustee Shares Her Story in Washington, D.C."},"content":{"rendered":"

Northern Essex Community College student Sarah Pachano of Lawrence knows what it\u2019s like to overcome the odds. She moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2016 at 18 and taught herself English in just six months. But still, when it came time to consider college the following year, she felt she was back at square one. \u201cAs an immigrant, this is a completely different system than we have set up in the Dominican Republic, and there is a need to have people at [the college] who can support you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sarah<\/a>

NECC Student Trustee Sarah Pachano with U.S. Congresswoman Lori Trahan<\/p><\/div>\n

As NECC\u2019s Student Trustee<\/a>, Pachano recently shared her story and why it\u2019s so important to have funding for vital support programs with Representatives Lori Trahan and Seth Moulton and Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren. Pachano, NECC President Lane Glenn, CFO Mike McCarthy, and Trustee Marianne\u00a0Paley\u00a0Nadel traveled to Washington, D.C., for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Legislative Summit<\/a>. The summit allows representatives from the nation\u2019s community colleges to connect with each other and their U.S. representatives in Congress and to learn about federal policy issues impacting postsecondary institutions and students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized the conversations that were going to happen. I feel like those are very important to have and important to have a student there representing the community colleges,\u201d Pachano recalls from when she first learned about the summit. \u201cI feel like no one can understand how these policies can impact a student unless they hear it from the student’s perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n