UW Impact
District Dawgs
Interested in participating in District Dawgs? Learn more about the program below and tell us about your passion for supporting students and the University of Washington:
What is UW Impact?
UW Impact is the University of Washington Alumni Association’s legislative advocacy program. Our mission is to engage UW alumni and stakeholders in legislative advocacy that advances the university and public higher education in the state of Washington.
What is a District Dawg?
District Dawgs (DD) are proud UW Alumni who believe in the value of higher education in the state of Washington. District Dawgs support the UW and higher education through legislative district-based engagement with lawmakers and their community. Using UW Impact resources, District Dawgs help coordinate opportunities for alums, neighbors, family and friends to learn about the value of higher education, build relationships with local lawmakers, and generate support for higher education.
District Dawgs Spotlight
How did you begin to advocate with UW Impact?
How did you begin to advocate with UW Impact? After joining the GOLD Council, I attended a UW Impact Legislative Advocacy Training and decided to get more involved. I benefited so much from my education at UW and want to support the higher education ecosystem (students, faculty, staff, and community).
Which higher education issue is most important to you and why?
Access and affordability. Historically this has addressed tuition and increasing college access, but part of the focus this year is on student support services. With the pandemic and increasing stressors for those enrolled in higher education, there is an increasing need for students to access mental health resources to support their progress towards their degree. Additionally, I'm grateful for an increased focus on needing to cover gaps and build more infrastructure for disability and accessibility on campuses. Meeting these priorities puts UW closer to meeting some important needs of marginalized communities on campus, thus supporting the full community.
What has been rewarding about advocating for higher education and what have you learned?
It's been good to feel connected to the alumni community and be more involved with our representatives during this year's session. Joining town halls and communicating with legislators on important priorities provides us the opportunity to take action on the things that we value and be more involved residents of where we live.
What would you share with other alumni that want to get involved?
Being a District Dawg is a great opportunity to tackle important higher education priorities by encouraging your representatives to take action and track their commitments amongst like-minded alumni.
District Dawgs Spotlight Archive
District Dawgs Norms:
- We are an inclusive program dedicated to representing the interests of UW alumni and students and are committed to championing diversity in both our membership and our actions.
- We are a non-partisan program and seek to include individuals across the political spectrum who support the UW and higher education. We welcome different perspectives but share a common understanding about the impact higher education has across all of Washington state and the contributions the University of Washington makes to the world through its research, medicine, and students.
- We are dedicated to supporting the interests of the UW and higher education and recognize that supporting these interests will be the primary focus of UW Impact civic engagement and advocacy.
District Dawgs Advocacy Resources
Learn more with our advocacy resources.
