WSU Student Regent Arleigh Cayanan appeared before the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee this afternoon during his confirmation hearing. Cayanan, a fourth year student in College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the WSU Health Sciences campus, was nominated by Governor Inslee to fill the student regent position which is designated to provide a student perspective on the WSU Board of Regents.
Cayanan shared his experiences representing students on the Board.
“It’s been been different from what I expected,” he said, reflecting on the year amid the pandemic. “We’re doing what we can to have the voices of students heard.”
Cayanan also spoke to his work to share and disseminate information and topics from the Board of Regents to the student government council, which represents student governments across the WSU system.
Senator Marko Liias asked what brought the Hawaii native to Washington and to WSU. Cayanan said he found the environment at WSU was unique.
“When I did interviews at other colleges to pursue Pharmacy, the students at WSU had the most upbeat personalities… they really wanted me to be there. I felt I would be supported at WSU.”
You can view Regent Cayanan’s confirmation hearing is below (starts at 00:44:14). His confirmation moves to the Senate floor, awaiting a confirmation vote by the chamber.