Story by Chris Graham
Gov. Tim Kaine is solidly behind the campaign of 27th Senate District Democratic nominee Karen Schultz.
Kaine appeared with Schultz at Shenandoah University in Winchester on Thursday to discuss their ideas on devising and implementing innovative education plans aimed at moving Virginia forward.
Schultz is a professor at SU in the School of Pharmacy.
“Karen’s work at Shenandoah University is truly a model for community involvement in education,” Kaine said. “Karen is the kind of moderate, common-sense legislator who will help move Virginia forward. From Day One, I will rely on her as an education ally in the Senate.”
Schultz, who is challenging Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel in the 27th, was instrumental in the development of the Shenandoah U. School of Pharmacy’s service-learning program that gets students in the pharmacy school intimately involved in the local community.
“When we pioneered the service learning program here at SU, we were primarily trying to instill a sense of responsibility and community service into the University curriculum. I don’t think that anybody could have foreseen what a remarkable success it has become,” Schultz said.
“Today our students have dedicated over 10,000 hours to the Shenandoah Valley community, and many tell me that it is the most valuable component of their experience here at SU.”
Kaine said the kind of educational vision shared by Schultz will be important to helping Virginia stay ahead in the 21st-century economy.
“Putting resources into institutions of education is the best way to maintain a qualified workforce, preserve our status as the best place in the country for businesses, and provide our citizens with the best opportunities for success in life,” Kaine said. “Karen is an expert on making our educational institutions work for us, and I look forward to employing her model in the State Senate in Richmond.”
Chris Graham is the executive editor of The Augusta Free Press.