John Day, Mount Wachusett Community College

John Day has become a leader and an advocate for his fellow students at MWCC, ensuring that student voice is present and considered in decisions and conversations where it has previously been absent. He has helped to inform and develop numerous civic engagement projects and programming, including the national Economic Inequality Initiative, spearheaded by MWCC, Keene State, AASCU’s American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment. John was also a founding member of the student-run Students Serving Our Students Office, which boasts an 88% student retention rate assisting fellow students address barriers to staying in school. 
-Daniel Asquino, President

I have been involved in many areas of campus while a student at MWCC. I was the president of Beyond Str8, have served with SGA for two years in various leadership capacities and am now serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA while pursuing a certificate in Small Business Management. I am also the president of our honor society and was the only student chosen to represent MWCC at the Economic Inequality Institute this past January. One of the most valuable experiences I have had while at MWCC is serving as a peer mentor with our SOS program. It is truly humbling to witness the struggle some students face to get an education to better their lives and the lives of their families and I am glad to help them succeed. It has opened my eyes to needs in our community and how I can be a part of addressing injustice and inequality. Through these experiences I have volunteered alongside people who are very different from myself; they hold different political, religious and cultural beliefs and that has been invaluable. I have learned what it truly means to be a part of a community which is full of respect, compassion and care.
-John Day