Jun. 8, 2016
Governor selects CWU student for State Achievement Council
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has named CWU student Jessica Murillo-Rosales to serve as the 2016-2017 student representative on the Washington State Achievement Council.
Murillo-Rosales, who is 21, 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.
“Jessica Murillo-Rosales has been an exemplary student and leader at Central Washington University,” said CWU President James L. Gaudino. “She will be a strong student advocate on the Washington State Achievement Council.”
In her application, Murillo-Rosales said she wanted to serve on the council because she felt she could bring a different perspective to the body.
“I am not ashamed to tell people that I am the daughter of two hard-working Guatemalan immigrants who ran to sanctuary during the Guatemalan civil war,” she said. “In order for universities, communities, and society to make concise decisions for their whole population, individuals like me must step up and help make sure the decision will truly be beneficial for everyone.”
She said she agreed when President Gaudino recently called for a more inclusive approach to higher education in his 2016 State of the University address and hoped to serve as a voice on the council for groups or individuals that have historically been underrepresented.
The Washington State Achievement Council was created in 2012 to provide strategic planning, oversight, advocacy, and programs to support increased student success and higher levels of educational attainment in Washington.
The council consists of five citizen members, including a student currently enrolled in a state public university, and one representative from each of the four major education sectors including: community and technical colleges; independent, nonprofit private universities; four-year public universities; and K-12 institutions.
In addition to appointing Murillo-Rosales to serve on the Washington State Achievement Council, Inslee named CWU student Joey Knight as the student trustee on Central’s Board of Trustees for 2016-17.
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.
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.