President Asquino Prepares for Retirement, Reflects on Time at MWCC
By Jason D. Greenough | Arts & Entertainment Editor
After 29 years at the helm, MWCC President Daniel Asquino is hanging it up.
President Asquino is rarely seen sitting still. Whether he is en route to a meeting, or casually strolling the halls with a can of Diet Coke in hand, he is constantly moving, so it’s hard to think of him in retirement on a beach somewhere. It was even a surprise to see him lounging in a rocking chair as we spoke for this interview. Granted, he was almost flipping the chair over with how fast he was rocking, almost as if he wanted to jump up and run laps around his office, with the same anxious demeanor as a young kid being told he has to wait to open his gifts on Christmas morning. It’s that child-like enthusiasm that has kept him going during his tenure here at MWCC. The word “leisure” doesn’t seem to apply to him, and he admits he just isn’t that type of person.
“It really isn’t my nature,” says Asquino. “I can rest for ten, fifteen minutes to recharge my batteries, but then I just have to move.”
With any administration or position of power, there is an unwritten rule that some of the greatest successes are to be challenged by great regrets and sometimes even great failures. President Asquino is fully aware that he is no exception to that rule.
For him, the successes outweigh the failures and regrets, but even the regret that he holds at the top of his list can still be attained, even if it means it doesn’t happen on his watch.
“There are very few things I regret,” says Asquino, of his time at MWCC. “But I think the principle regret that I have is that we have not be able to erect and construct residence halls on campus, which has always been a goal of mine, and it still is,” he continued. “Maybe it’s one of the things that will have to be left to my successor. I think [residence halls] are vitally important for the student experience, student success, and student retention.”
But even with the dorms going by the wayside for the time being, Asquino still loves coming to work every day, and seeing the growth he has put into motion every day over nearly the last 30 years helps him stay positive for what is to come next in his chapter of MWCC’s history.
“That’s an easy one,” says Asquino, regarding his personally favorite successes as President. “It would be seeing the college grow from a few thousand students to over 12,000 students, and more importantly, bringing the college into the community with civic engagement and the growth of the Leominster and Devens campuses, and reaching out to 29 surrounding towns and cities,” he continued. “Those are the things I am most proud of.”
After talking about his time at MWCC, Dr. Asquino shared a little about his life, and how he came to be the man we all see today. Overcoming obstacles and accepting challenges are nothing new for the Navy veteran and UMass Amherst graduate, and the hardship he faced early on has prepared him for the tough times in his professional career.
“After high school, I couldn’t go to college, because my grades weren’t good enough. In fact, they were terrible,” says Asquino. “Four years later, [after my time in the navy] I was married, had two kids, one on the way, two hundred dollars, a broken down car, no place to live, then went to college,” he continued. “The city of New Bedford gave me two hundred dollars, I moved in with my parents, got on welfare, eventually had subsidized housing, had couple more kids, got straight A’s, worked sixty hours a week, and well…Here I am!”
“Community Colleges are the gateway. I don’t think I was ready for college right out of high school, as I had a disability throughout my junior high and high school years, and people told me I wasn’t college material, and I started to believe that. I hear that from so many of our students, that someone told them they weren’t ready, that they couldn’t achieve, but [I know] they have the capability and capacity to not only achieve, but to excel. If not for the community college, I don’t know where they’d be.”
“I was interning for the Mass Board of Regional Community Colleges, working on my doctorate, and looking back on it, forty-eight years after starting that internship, it had always been a goal of mine to become the President of one of these institutions. When this job became available, I had been recruited, but I was also a finalist at Cape Cod Community College for that Presidency. But this job was offered to me before Cape Cod [Community College] completed their search, and I accepted [this job], and never looked back.”
So, what will Dan Asquino do during retirement? While the rocking chair seemed fitting for a man who has done so much over the years, having served, in addition to his tenure at MWCC, with the President of the Massachusetts Board of Regional Community Colleges, as the Dean of Administration and Development at Cape Cod Community College, and as the chair for various community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster and the United Way of North Central Massachusetts, surely he would like to take some time to relax. On the contrary, he has no prospects of sitting still.
“I’m still working on that,” Asquino says with a smirk, in regards to his plans for retirement. “Probably relax, travel, volunteer. There are many volunteer opportunities, for many great organizations,” he continues. “As for travelling, I would like to go back to Italy, probably France, and certainly Hawaii, which is one of those areas that I have not been to, and I really do like to travel.”
“I will tell you, in the almost thirty years I’ve been here, there has never ever been one day that I have not enjoyed coming to work. Does that mean that every day has wonderful and great, and without challenge? No. It’s a tough job, but I always try to remain positive. I’ve always tried to be positive, and give back. There are always other people out there that could use your help, as bad as it might be. You know, generally in life, people have better breaks than others, and while it’s okay sometimes to say ‘whoa is me, life isn’t fair,’ but you gotta get up, move forward and help other people. Life is a merciless reflection of your own attitude. That’s the type of person that will excel and do well.”
Imagine, reader. Imagine if President Asquino had been appointed President of Cape Cod Community College in the summer of 1987. Chances are, we would be looking at not only a completely different campus here at MWCC, but we would also be looking at a continuously thriving campus at in Cape Cod. We may not be looking at a new STEM building being erected right before our eyes, we may not be seeing the art wing receiving a makeover, and we may not be seeing our school evolve more and more every morning as we walk through the door. Sure, the naked wires, pipes, and scaffolding aren’t exactly the prettiest thing in the world, but that’s all here with the vision of a more beautiful campus and future at the Mount, thanks to President Daniel M. Asquino.
We thank you for your dedication to us and our campus, Mr. President. After your hard work and determination over the years, you deserve nothing but the best retirement. Let us know how Hawaii is!
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