By Chelsea Lindquist, Communications Specialist, Bates Technical College
TACOMA – Rep. Derek Kilmer will make his first official visit as a Congressman to a public technical or community college on Monday, May 13 at Bates Technical College. Kilmer will visit the Downtown Campus, where he will take part in a discussion with students, tour select high-demand programs, and participate in a roundtable lunch discussion with college stakeholders.
The visit will begin at 11 a.m. in the Diversity Center, where Kilmer will hold a candid discussion about the potential of rising student loan interest rates. Kilmer, who sponsored a bill last month to prevent student loan rates from doubling, said on a Facebook post that “student loans are the key to the door of higher education. In a time of ever-rising college costs and challenging job markets, now is not the time to double their interest loan rates.”
Following the half-hour student discussion, Kilmer, President Dr. Ron Langrell and college representatives will tour the Occupational Therapy Assistant, Dental Assisting and Machinist programs, all high-demand, booming occupations that help fuel Washington state’s economy.
The visit will conclude with a lunch prepared and served by the college’s Culinary Arts program.