On October 24, 70 students, parents, and community members gathered at Yakima Valley College for Making Colleges More Accessible, an event organized by Communities for Our Colleges (C4C) to strengthen student leadership, identify shared challenges, and build collective power for a more accessible and equitable higher education system.
As part of our ongoing organizing in Central Washington, the gathering brought students and families together to discuss three critical issues: college affordability, barriers facing immigrant students, and the needs of parenting students.
Connecting Our Stories to Shared Challenges
Through small-group conversations and storytelling activities, participants shared their experiences navigating higher education and identified common barriers.
Jose Rodriguez, a high school student who helps support his family, shared:
“I am a high school student, and I provide financial support to my family—there are five of us siblings. Having access to free college would help me achieve my goals of pursuing a career in the automotive industry.“
Another participant, Jose, reflected on the financial challenges of continuing his education:
“I studied engineering in my home country, but I had to move here. I believe in education, and I would like to study languages. The financial barrier is significant for me; after paying my bills, I don’t have enough left over to attend school.“
These stories highlight why making college affordable and accessible requires listening to the people most directly affected by higher education policies.
Turning Stories Into Collective Action
Throughout the day, participants learned about financial aid, student support programs, Know Your Rights resources, and efforts to strengthen support for parenting students, including SB 6227, the Parenting Student Success proposal.
Students also practiced developing their personal stories to share with legislators and explored how civic participation and community organizing can influence decisions affecting their education.
The gathering concluded with participants expressing interest in joining C4C’s January and February 2027 Legislative Action Days in Olympia, where students and families will have opportunities to bring their experiences directly to state lawmakers.
Building Power Across Washington
Our work in the Yakima Valley is part of a broader statewide effort to organize students, families, and communities around a shared vision of higher education as a public good.
Making college more accessible requires more than identifying barriers. It requires building the relationships, leadership, and collective power needed to remove them.