Jun. 2, 2016
Governor Inslee Names Joey Knight CWU Student Trustee
Governor Jay Inslee has named Joey Knight student trustee at Central Washington University for the 2016-17 academic year.
Knight, who will be a senior during his term, is majoring in political science. He is a 2013 graduate of Olympia High School and a member of the U.S. Army ROTC program at Central.
"Joey Knight is a great addition Central Washington University Board of Trustees," Inslee said. "He has already shown dedication to serving his community and will bring an important student voice to the board which will help address challenges in higher education.”
“I’m incredibly honored and blessed to have the ability to serve in this distinguished position,” the 21-year-old Knight said. “Central Washington University is truly a remarkable institution and it’ll be my pleasure to advocate for student supported positions during the discussions among the Board of Trustees.”
Knight said he wants to “hit the ground running” at the start of his term. To that end, he has already reached out to CWU President James L. Gaudino to schedule a meeting for the two to discuss current university issues.
He also plans to set up meetings with other university staff and officials who frequently interact with the student trustee in order “to pick their brains and gather feedback from their perspectives of my new position and duties.”
Knight said his priorities as student trustee would be to strengthen the school’s student retention efforts, boost professional career development opportunities for students, and encouraging the university to take a more active role in recognizing and rewarding superior student performance.
“This position is an incredible way for me to be able to serve the university and student body by formulating student feedback and perspectives into a concise yet comprehensive strategy for guaranteeing that the students’ opinions are heard,” he said.
As for his future after graduation, Knight said he will begin a career in the U.S. Army after receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. His hope is that he will be assigned to serve as an Army aviator.
“Even from a young age, I’ve always been fascinated by flight,” Knight explained. “The amazing opportunity given to me by CWU’s Army ROTC program has afforded me the chance to combine my desire to become a pilot with my passion to serve our country.”
All of the state’s six public baccalaureate institutions have a student seat on its governing bodies. The student trustees serve one-year terms and are full voting members on all issues except matters relating to hiring or discipline of personnel, tenure of faculty, and collective bargaining agreements. Knight’s term will end on June 30, 2017.
In addition to naming Knight to the board of trustees, Inslee also appointed CWU student Jessica Murillo-Rosales to serve as the 2016-2017 student representative on the Washington State Achievement Council.
Murillo-Rosales will graduate in June from Central with a degree in sociology and a minor in women and gender studies. She will return to CWU in the fall to begin work on her master’s degree in education, higher education. Her term will last from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017.
Both Knight and Murillo-Rosales were among a list of five nominees for student trustee submitted by CWU to the governor. It was the first time two CWU students have been selected for the two positions at the same time.
Media contact: Richard Moreno, Director of Content Development, 509-963-2714, richard.moreno@cwu.edu.
June 2, 2016