Bryan Sanderson, Mount Wachusett Community College

Bryan Sanderson, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, is a second year student at Mount Wachusett Community College. As a student who is deeply involved in many facets of community both within the college walls and beyond, Bryan was deeply struck by number of students who do not complete their degree due to the outside circumstances that occur in life. Bryan developed and proposed a concept for peer students to assist in connecting students in need with outside resources for housing, food, child care, transportation and other vital needs as a means to directly addressing the retention issue for his fellow community college students. This proposal has been implemented in the form of the Students Serving Our Students Office. Serving more than 125 students in the first four weeks of the spring semester, Bryan has spearheaded a call to action for his fellow students to help others achieve their goals and not let outside challenges deter them.