Daily Vanguard

Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Ed Johnson Making a difference: After a year in student government, PSU sophomore Hannah Fisher is representing students on the State Board of Higher Education. [Click to enlarge]

For the common college student, the first two years of higher education are the easiest part of earning a degree. The classes are new and exciting, adult responsibilities are relatively few and there isn't much drive to get involved with anything outside of parties and friends.

Hannah Fisher is not a common college student.

Currently a sophomore at Portland State, Fisher was appointed a member of the State Board of Higher Education over the summer. The State Board is the governing body of the Oregon University System, and Fisher is responsible for representing student interests during State Board meetings, deliberations and financial planning.

Fisher also represents an oft-overlooked segment of the PSU student population¬-students with disabilities. Last year, she was hired as outreach and advocacy coordinator for the Disability Advocacy Cultural Association (DACA), a position she still holds, and as director of university affairs for student government.

Fisher said she gets involved in PSU's community because she is interested in real changes being made, rather than talking about student issues and not taking student actions.

"Basically, if I'm not helping other people, I'm not happy," Fisher said. "I recognize students who are in need of advocacy and I just jump on it because I want to bring about positive change across the university."

Fisher and former head coordinator Michael Malinowski formulated a plan to build a solar-powered wheelchair recharging station on campus. The station, which would allow electric wheelchair-using students to dock with it and recharge their chairs should they run out of power during the day, was to be placed in the South Park Blocks.

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