NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—MCLA junior, Taylor Hope '24, has been appointed to the Advisory Council for the Advancement of Representation in Education ahead of the Supreme Court's pending decision on the legality of race-based higher education admissions. 

 

On June 14 Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, and Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler announced the formation of the Advisory Council to expand access to college and career readiness tools for current Massachusetts students.  

 

Hope is studying Political Science and Sociology at MCLA, serves on the Student Affairs Committee for the Board of Trustees, and is the President of MCLA's Student Government Association. She is one of eight student representatives from Massachusetts colleges on the Advisory Council.  

 

According to a release from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Advisory Council is made up of stakeholders with expertise in higher education; civil rights advocacy; diversity, equity, and inclusion work; and the experiences of students of color. Over the next year, the Advisory Council will share information across sectors about the impact of the Supreme Court's decision after it is released and will work creatively to break down barriers to higher education to ensure Massachusetts remains open, welcoming, and inclusive of all students.  

 

"This advisory council will enhance critical cross-sector communication to ensure stakeholders in the Commonwealth are working together to break down barriers of access to higher education, particularly for those who have been historically marginalized and our students of color," Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega said in the release.