ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Thursday afternoon, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II continued his tour of the Upper Peninsula in Escanaba.
Gilchrist visited Bay College, meeting with President Dr. Nerita Hughes, other administrators, and students. He toured the campus, making stops in the water, automotive, and welding labs.
Gilchrist told WZMQ 19 that colleges like Bay give students training and opportunities to enter the workforce in their own communities.
“I want people to be able to say ‘yes’ to living in every community in Michigan, and part of saying ‘yes’ to living in a community going forward is feeling like you have educational and career prospects,” he said. “If you can get an education in a place, you can build a career there. If you can build a career there, you can build a family there. If you can build a family there, you can build a future there. Bay plays an important role in making that true for this section of the Upper Peninsula, and it’s an anchor institution, frankly. That’s why I’m here, to be here to support it.”
Gilchrist expressed his pride in his and Governor Whitmer’s record of supporting increased funding for community colleges throughout the state, saying it will continue in this year’s budget.
