one of those students is melissa of jerzy veale, who is here today. will you stand, melissa? [applause] melissa is a nursing student at lewis and clark college -- community college and the student trustee, along with being a devoted mother and grandmother. melissa wants to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing. but the costs and the commute to a school further away will make it too expensive. there are people like melissa all over illinois who want to get a four-year degree could make a better living. we should make that easier for them. that's why i am proposing that we allow community colleges to offer 4-year baccalaureate degrees for in demand career paths. nursing, advancement of fracturing, early childhood education and beyond. with lower tuition rates at a greater presence across the state especially in rural areas, community colleges provide the flexibility and affordability the students need. this is a consumer-driven, student-centered proposal that will help fill the needs of regional employers in high needs sectors and create a pathway to a stable, quality jobs f

one of those students is melissa of jerzy veale, who is here today. will you stand, melissa? [applause] melissa is a nursing student at lewis and clark college -- community college and the student trustee, along with being a devoted mother and grandmother. melissa wants to pursue a baccalaureate degree in nursing. but the costs and the commute to a school further away will make it too expensive. there are people like melissa all over illinois who want to get a four-year degree could make a better living. we should make that easier for them. that's why i am proposing that we allow community colleges to offer 4-year baccalaureate degrees for in demand career paths. nursing, advancement of fracturing, early childhood education and beyond. with lower tuition rates at a greater presence across the state especially in rural areas, community colleges provide the flexibility and affordability the students need. this is a consumer-driven, student-centered proposal that will help fill the needs of regional employers in high needs sectors and create a pathway to a stable, quality jobs f