Changemakers: Building trust, equity and accessibility in education

For communities that are often left behind in education, policymaking and support services, building trust comes first.

As an inclusion and equity specialist at the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Rebecca Arce, MPP ’14, helps build relationships that create more equitable and accessible educational outcomes for all Oregonians.

Learn about how she promotes student engagement and involvement with state-level policymaking, with an emphasis on students who experience disabilities.

About the speaker:

Rebecca Arce, MPP ’14, is an equity and inclusion specialist at the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Growing up in an immigrant household, she was sold on the idea of education as the key to the American Dream. After ten years and many stops and starts, Rebecca finally finished her undergraduate degree making her the first in her family to go to college and obtain a degree. She then went on to grad school where she focused on the immigrant experiences of Latinos in the U.S. and Romani in the UK. All of the lessons from her own culture and the parallel experiences of Romani led her to work for the state of Oregon where she focuses on trust-building and shared decision-making in state government to ensure all Oregonians are recognized, considered and consulted in the policymaking process.