Florida College Senior Represents School in Tallahassee
Republished from Florida College
Florida College President H.E. “Buddy” Payne, Meredith Qualls and Senatpr Victor Crist.
Senior Meredith Qualls, Temple Terrace, Fla., recently traveled to Tallahassee as Florida College’s “presidential fellow”—a benefit of FC’s membership of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) organization.
On Tuesday, January 19, Qualls met with fellow representatives from other private colleges and universities in Florida on Capitol Hill. She visited Representative Ed Homan and Senator Victor Crist, the two delegates whose districts cover Temple Terrace (and thus Florida College). The fellows also met Governor Charlie Crist after hearing him speak.
ICUF champions its member schools to the state of Florida. One of its primary missions is to lobby for the continued support and increased funding of the Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG), a grant given solely to Florida residents who attend these private colleges and universities. Many Florida College students benefit from the grant, which this year is worth $2,500 per student.
ICUF’s reason for the recent trip to Tallahassee was a simple one: gratitude.
Florida College President H.E. “Buddy” Payne, Meredith Qualls and Senatpr Victor Crist.
“The strategy was that it would be more refreshing to have a presence of thankfulness,” said Qualls, “rather than asking for more money.” In the reality of massive budget cuts, every organization that relies on state funding is soliciting financial commitments from their delegates.
Qualls connected with President H.E. “Buddy” Payne ’65, who was also at the capitol for a meeting of the ICUF presidents. They were given a private tour of the senate chamber by Senator Crist.
“He sat and listened to us for a long time,” Qualls said of Crist, “and had a lot to say to us and gave us a lot of his time. It was a good end to the day.”
Qualls is currently working on “Faces of FRAG,” a small publication she is producing that will convey to state delegates the stories of Florida College students who have benefited from the FRAG. The recipients will receive it before the next legislative session in February.
