In his journey to become Florida’s newest senator, Congressman Kendrick Meek made a pit stop in Gainesville Wednesday night to listen to and talk with students.
Speaking to a crowd of about 30 at Santa Fe College, Meek related stories of his own personal education experiences, pointing out his mother worked for a community college.
“I look at community colleges as places of excellence, not places where you go when you have nowhere else to go,” he said. “Just the fact that you’re at Santa Fe means you’re going to prove a lot of people wrong.”
In terms of broader issues, Meek vowed to fight on behalf of students by making sure they get the funds necessary to finance their education.
“I’m not running on behalf of the government,” he said. “I’m running on behalf of the people who are trying to make it.”
The first portion of the night was spent with a panel of students bringing forth issues to the congressman, such as student debt, financial aid and employment prospects after school. He then devoted the rest of the time to laying out his platform while addressing questions from the audience.
Although he’s competing for a high government office, Meek admits that he can still use some more schooling.
“Let me tell you something,” he said. “I’m a nerd, too.”
