Hi everyone, my name is Khanh Pham, and I am excited to be one of this year's legislative interns for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
I'm a first-generation immigrant from Vietnam and proud member of Tumwater High School's Class of 2023. Currently, I'm in my second year at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC), working on completing my associate degree. My plan is to transfer in fall 2025 to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer science.
Outside of my studies, I work as an office assistant for the Transition Studies Department at SPSCC, where I help support students working to improve their English, earn their GED, or prepare for college-level courses. I'm also proud to serve as Vice President of Scholarship for our Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter. I'm excited to bring these experiences to my legislative internship, where I'll be working alongside Isabella Flores, a Running Start student at SPSCC. Together, we'll be using our voices and experiences to advocate for the 290,000 students in Washington's community and technical college system.
These past two months have been an amazing learning experience. I've had the opportunity to sit in on meetings with many wonderful people and organizations, all working towards the same goal — helping Washington students succeed. Our supervisors, Sam Herriot and Arlen Harris, and everyone else at SBCTC have been incredibly supportive, always making themselves available to answer questions and provide guidance. They consistently work to give us student legislative interns hands-on opportunities to learn about and engage with the legislative process.
Thursday, I had the privilege of testifying before the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee in support of SB 5115, the Washington Dream Act Service Incentive Program. This bill would create opportunities for students who can't receive federal financial aid due to their citizenship status to earn grant money through community service. Coming to the US as an immigrant has given me a unique perspective on the importance of education and the opportunities it can provide. As a first-generation immigrant, I was proud to share my view on why this program would make a real difference for students working to achieve their educational dreams.
I'm really excited about the rest of this legislative session. Being able to use my voice to help make positive changes for community and technical college students across Washington is an incredible opportunity. Even though the legislative process can seem complicated, I'm learning that every voice matters, and students like me can make a real difference. I look forward to sharing more updates about my experience as the session continues!
