Hector Pizarro, Barry University

Hector Pizarro, a criminology major at Barry University, is a student leader committed to building community and to helping youth realize their true potential. Motivated by Gandhi’s exhortation to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” Hector has been actively involved with several organizations that seek to counter injustices, give voice to the youth, and empower local citizens to improve community life. As co-president of Ignite, Barry’s Sociology and Criminology Club, Hector is a scholar-activist who has been at the forefront of a campus initiative to raise awareness of domestic violence in the wider community. He remains a board member of Beantown Society, a “by-youth, for-youth” after-school program that he co-founded in Boston, Massachusetts. The program educates at-risk youth about the economy, classism, sexism, and various forms of oppression while motivating them to demonstrate positive attitudes and actions. A member of Pi Gamma Mu, the International Social-Science Honor Society, Hector has a rich reservoir of creative ideas and is skilled at bringing diverse groups together. His eagerness to use his knowledge and skills to work for social justice, contribute to public problem solving, and better his community has impressed his peers, faculty members, and community partners alike.