Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) visited Renton Technical College (RTC) on April 13 to meet with staff and students.

“We are honored to host Senator Murray, and appreciate her interest in higher education and the lives of Washington residents. The visit was a wonderful opportunity to share some of our success stories, discuss challenges faced by our students, and consider the value of technical education,” said RTC President Kevin McCarthy in a press release.

“So much of what I do in congress is shaped by the people I meet and the stories I hear when I’m at home, so it was an honor to spend time today with students and staff at Renton Technical College,” said Murray in the release. “I will take the lessons of what’s happening at RTC – and at other colleges across our state — as I continue to fight for policies that work for Washington state.”

Murray began her visit with a brief meeting with McCarthy and Mohamed “Mo” Abdullahi, an RTC computer science student who was been selected by Phi Theta Kappa to join the All-Washington and All-USA community college academic teams.

Mohamed was born in 1993 in a refugee camp in Kenya and immigrated to the United States with his mother as a refugee. He enrolled in the RTC computer science program following high school graduation, pursuing his studies while working evenings as a security guard and as a tutor. Mo is a student leader in the RTC Associated Student Government and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa academic honors society.

Senator Murray and administrators discussed immigrant and refugee experiences at RTC and within the community. She also visited faculty and students in the Medical Assistant program and the newly redesigned Aerospace and Industrial Technologies program.