Last week, I was honored to deliver the keynote address for the Charlotte Aviation Institute of Maintenance's Summer Commencement ceremony.

This ceremony celebrated the hard work, determination, and passion of the 88 AIM graduates who are armed with the knowledge, training, and talent needed to embark on the next chapter of their careers as Aviation Maintenance Technicians.

Our state has a proud history and culture of aviation. Flight was born out of Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903 and today, 122 years later, the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the 6th busiest airport in the world. If it weren't for our incredible Aviation Maintenance Technicians, none of that would have been possible.

Join me in congratulating the newest graduates from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance and thanking them for their service to our city and our community!

This week, I was proud to join Rep. Jimmy Gomez in introducing the Enhance Access to SNAP (EATS) Act in Congress to address the food insecurity crisis facing college students.

The EATS Act would eliminate outdated barriers to SNAP that make students unable to access the lifesaving hunger program.

As a former college professor of 40 years, I’ve seen students struggle with hunger firsthand and know how it impacts their health and academic achievement. They should be focusing on their education, not where their next meal is coming from, but harsh SNAP restrictions make that impossible for millions of college students.

I’m proud to support the EATS Act so we can create lasting and needed reforms to SNAP, make college more accessible to low-income families, and ensure no student goes to bed hungry.

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of speaking before the Association of Public Land-grant Universities at their 2025 Council on Research and Council on Governmental Affairs Joint Meeting.

This meeting was hosted at North Carolina A&T State University—our state's land-grant HBCU—and brought together land-grant university leaders from across the country, including representatives from some of our nation's 19 land-grant HBCUs.

Land-grant universities are essential members of our higher education community and we must ensure they are fully equipped to serve their students.

Today, I had the honor of speaking before the South Carolina State University Alumni Association at their national convention.

As higher education continues to face attacks from the administration, conventions like these are incredibly important to bring university stakeholders together and discuss how we can support our alma maters when the federal government refuses to do so.

I'm grateful to see Bulldog Excellence Amplified in our state and am always proud to be part of an HBCU Strong room filled with garnet and blue. Thank you to the Queen City Bulldogs for hosting this weekend's convention.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Food Financing Initiative has opened grant applications for their Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund.

The grant program aims to improve access to healthy foods in underserved areas, create and preserve quality jobs, and revitalize low-income communities. These grants assist communities in project development, retail renovation and expansion, and technical assistance to support capacity building.

Applications are due by August 18.

To learn more and apply, click the link below.

My office is proud to announce our participation in this year’s Congressional App Challenge. This spirited competition provides an opportunity for students to learn how to code. It also encourages students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) while promoting innovation and engagement in computer science. 

The Congressional App Challenge allows students to compete against their peers by creating an app of their choice for mobile, tablet, or computer devices. No background or experience in computer science is needed.

The deadline to register and submit a completed application is before 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Time on October 30, 2025.

To learn more, click the link below.

Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) – a joint leadership development program led by the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson – is now accepting applications through July 20 for its 2026 class.

For over a decade, PLS has selected established professionals across all job sectors and backgrounds to learn about leadership through the experiences of these four presidents.

During the six-month program, selected professionals will hone their leadership skills through interactions and sessions with key administration officials, business executives, and leading academics and form meaningful relationships with one another – learning from each other’s divergent views and experiences. They will put their learning into action through a personal leadership project, intended to create positive impact by solving a problem or pressing issue in their community, organization, country, or the world.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened applications for disaster recovery assistance to farmers and livestock producers.

All farmers and agriculture producers who have been victims of a natural disaster are encouraged to apply. See the link below for more information.