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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Davia Willis, Student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
2:10:37
ยท
96 sec
Davia Willis, a criminal justice major at John Jay College, testifies about the financial challenges CUNY students face, particularly regarding transportation costs. She urges the legislature to fund free MetroCards for CUNY students to reduce barriers to education and improve access to academic and professional opportunities.
- Willis shares her personal experience as an international student, spending $132 per month on commuting.
- She emphasizes that transportation costs force many students to skip classes, limit extracurricular activities, and turn down internships.
- Willis argues that free MetroCards would promote retention and graduation rates, supporting overall student success.
Davia Willis
2:10:37
Good afternoon council members, my name is Davia Willis and I'm a criminal justice major at John Jay College of Criminal Justice with plans to graduate in spring of twenty seven.
2:10:47
I chose to attend CUNY because of diverse opportunities and as a first generation college student my career goals are to be a lawyer and a politician, erecting my own firm and being elected to serve those I represent.
2:10:59
My experience at CUNY has been a mixture of challenges and opportunities and one significant challenge I have faced is financial constraints of which one is the logistical difficulties associated with commutes.
2:11:10
Currently, I commute to campus using both the subway and the bus which amounts to a hundred and $32 per month.
2:11:16
I'm an international student and given that I must be responsible for my living, academic and housing expenses, this adds greatly to the monthly expenditure.
2:11:25
Not everyone is an international student but everyone has a variety of expenses and in some way inconvenienced by the added cost of transportation.
2:11:34
Many students are forced to skip classes, limit extracurricular opportunities and turn down internships because they cannot afford to travel.
2:11:42
To address these issues, I urge the legislature to fund free metro cards for CUNY students ensuring free fares that students would reduce financial barriers to education, improve access to academic and professional opportunities and promote retention and graduation rates.
2:11:58
As students we should not have to choose between quality education and the ability to afford transportation needed to access it.
2:12:05
I strongly encourage the legislator to invest in equitable transit solutions that support student success.
2:12:11
Thank you for your time and consideration.