Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Meets with Missouri's Future Leaders; Encourages Them to Make Their Dreams a Reality
WARRENSBURG– Gov. Matt Blunt today addressed the young women attending Missouri Girls State and encouraged Missouri's future leaders in government and business to follow their dreams and remember the importance of public service.
"I believe that any one man or woman can change the world for the better," Blunt said. "I encourage Missouri's future leaders to actively pursue their dreams, fight for their beliefs and recognize the importance of public service in all forms. To help them succeed, we are making strategic investments in education to ensure that all young Missourians are given the opportunity to compete in our global economy and make a positive impact in their chosen profession."
Blunt encouraged the young women attending Girls State to follow their dreams. The governor reminded the young women about the power of one person to change the world for the better, and challenged them to not go through life a spectator but to fight to make their dreams a reality and to play an active role in their communities through public service.
To ensure that Missouri future leaders, like the young women at Girls State, have the necessary skills to succeed in life, Blunt has made education his top budget and public policy priority. Since taking office the governor has secured more than half a billion dollars for Missouri's students and classrooms.
Blunt also championed a comprehensive higher education reform package. The package increases funding for higher education, provides tuition stabilization, and increases scholarship funding from $27.5 million to $72.5 million. The package also includes the governor's landmark Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative which is a partnership between the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) and the state. Through this initiative Missouri is reinvesting a state asset to deliver $335 million dollars for state-of-the-art learning centers for Missouri students this year.