The Student Government Association voted on Monday to send eight students from the School of Education to the annual Texas State Teachers Association conference.

The conference, which will take place Feb. 26 to 28 in Austin, prepares future teachers to become well developed in and out of the classroom.

School of Education Representative Lizeth Menchaca wrote the TSTA bill to send students to the conference.  

“The education program really prides itself in creating teachers who are already ready for the field, and this conference helps reiterate that,” Menchaca said.  

According to Menchaca, the eight students earned the opportunity to attend based on a point system created to encourage participation by this year’s TSTA District 4 President Dylan Chandler, a senior education major. These students would not be able to attend without the help of the SGA.  

“SGA funding was extremely important,” Menchaca said. “If that bill would have not passed, the students would probably not have been able to go.”

The SGA approved approximately $800 to assist with the trip,.

In addition to providing funding, the SGA continued to show its support for the student body by commenting on the success of this year’s homecoming.

Chief Justice Michael Brown, who is also the election committee chair, concluded the meeting by congratulating Victoria Johnson, senior mass communication major, and SGA’s Head Representative Hafidh Alghussein, senior finance major, who were named the 2016 Homecoming queen and king on Saturday.  

“We had more people run this year than we’ve had in the past several years,” Brown said. “It was really awesome to see that, and I think it made the experience a lot more enjoyable for everyone involved.”  

Alghussein said he appreciated the extensive participation in the Homecoming elections as well.

“I’d like to thank everyone for participating in voting for the Homecoming king and queen,” Alghussein said. “I’m really excited and honored to be the Homecoming king, especially since it’s my last semester.”