Browne Fellows travel to Harrisburg

The 2015 Browne Leadership Fellows Marissa Ferrighetto, Alyssa Giegerich, and Marcus Robinson traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital, to advocate for fair school funding. The Fellows joined the Campaign for Fair Education Funding, an organization that works to ensure that Pennsylvania adopts and maintains an adequate and equitable system of funding public education. "Participating with Allies for Children in the campaign for fair funding allowed me to experience lobbying firsthand," says Alyssa Giegerich. "After talking with representatives in Harrisburg, I better understand how Pennsylvania policy is affected by the voices of the people. Everyone should participate in lobbying because we have the opportunity to share experiences and address issues with those who have the power to make changes. "The experience also made an impact on Marcus Robinson. "Going to Harrisburg was great Tuesday, especially since it was my first time going there and Pittsburgh was the only place I had been to in Pennsylvania. I was able to see how community organizing can translate into lobbying, and how powerful an experience it can be. It was awesome to see how Allies for Children brought together a diverse group of people, showing that education affects everyone and that people can come together to voice their concerns. Going forward, I will always appreciate the strength of lobbying and how important it is to connect with your legislators and keep up with political developments," he said. The Advocacy and Lobbying component of the Browne seminar was added just this year, but has made quite an impression. "The trip to Harrisburg with Allies for Children was a valuable experience that showed me how advocacy work can influence policy and promote meaningful discussions between legislators and their constituents," said Marissa Ferrighetto. "Advocacy work is a powerful tool for citizens to engage in the political process and voice their opinions."