By Ayana Brodeur-Edmonds | Observer Contributor

It has been an eventful year for the community since President James L. Vander Hooven took office at MWCC. After a year of changes, President Vander Hooven and the community share their thoughts on where MWCC is now.

When Vander Hooven first looked into MWCC, he says that he was very impressed by the students and faculty. He “loved” the programs offered at MWCC, and said, “It [Working at MWCC] just seemed like a really great opportunity for me.” So far, his time at the college has been enjoyable. Vander Hooven has gotten to explore the community, and get a “deeper understanding” of what goes on here at the Mount. 

President Vander Hooven entered higher education because he knows that academics can be a struggle, and he wished to help others. The President himself struggled academically and faced several obstacles throughout his educational career. “Just keep showing up,” Vander Hooven advises students, “The quickest path to not succeeding is to not show up. I could’ve quit school because I wasn’t getting good grades, but I kept showing up.”

One obstacle he faced was his battle with depression. Vander Hooven has a deep level of empathy for students suffering from mental illness. “It is something that a lot of people struggle with,” he believes. 

“I am happy with how people have welcomed me here,” Vander Hooven says. MWCC student, Sean Krieger, and faculty member, Robert Mayer, welcome the new president with positive feedback and advice. 

Sean Krieger, Natural Resources Major and CATs club treasurer, has seen many changes in MWCC. He has attended the school since 2011. Krieger says, “Thinking about how the school was before to now is very nostalgic.” Krieger described the President as “an awesome person”. Krieger “loves” the school faculty, but describes the community as “double-edged”. He explained his feelings about the community; “It’s good, but it depends on who you surround yourself with.” 

“Community is the most important,” Vander Hooven claimed when asked about the most important part of a learning environment. He hopes for students to feel respected and valued, and that graduates are prepared for their next steps.

Robert “Bob” Mayer, Director of Veteran Services and adjunct Photography Professor for eighteen years, praised Vander Hooven for his ethics. “First I’ll tell you,” Mayer said, “I like Jim [President Vander Hooven] a lot and I have great respect for him. He is extremely supportive of our veteran students.”

When asked how Mayer felt about MWCC’s former president, Daniel Asquino, compared to Vander Hooven, Mayer says, “They have different leadership styles. I prefer the current leadership style because I feel that the students and staff have more input, even if they’re only asked their opinion.” Mayer feels that the “overall vibes” of the school are now positive, and that Vander Hooven has taken the right steps in improving the environment. 

When asked what Mayer defines as a good leader, he described, “A leader is someone who gets people to work for him, and to do things because they want to do it instead of because they have to do it. A leader wouldn’t necessarily ask someone to do something that they wouldn’t do themselves.” 

Krieger’s advice to President Vander Hooven was, “Keep engaging, pop in to the clubs and see how they’re run. See how we run events. See what gets put in to the events and get involved.”

If Krieger were President Vander Hooven, he would better the promotion of student services. Krieger said, “I have a lot of hopes for Jim’s presidency but he’s only one person. I remember him saying ‘Just do what you gotta do’.” Krieger also believes that Vander Hooven does not tolerate discrimination of any sort, “or he wouldn’t be president”.

Vander Hooven says that his life work has put him in close proximity to see the negative impacts of discrimination and racism. President Vander Hooven was once the president of a tribal college in Arizona. He described his experience there as, “one of the most educational experiences of [his] life to learn about their history and culture. To be able to be a part of that for a few years was really life changing.”

Vander Hooven recognized that discrimination is a complicated issue, but feels that one of the best solutions is education. The President believes that if someone is given the chance to tell their story, that gives people the opportunity to “advance their thinking”.

Not only does Vander Hooven cover topics such as discrimination and mental illness, he also deals with the threat of on-campus violence.

In light of the recent school shootings, Vander Hooven says, “They’re horrible. It’s complicated. We’re doing everything we can, and everything that we know of to have a safe environment for our students.” This type of situation hits close to home for Vander Hooven, being a father of three young children. As both a president and a dad, it hurts him that shootings are a concern for people. 

Vander Hooven comments on the safety of MWCC campuses, “I’m never going to say that I’m completely satisfied. I’m never going to say that we can guarantee that nothing is going to happen because we are prepared.” He states that we must remain as prepared as possible for such crises, and that if there are any troubling signs, then something must be done. 

When referring to the March for Our Lives, Vander Hooven believes that young people should have a voice and they should be heard. “I support students’ rights to take a stand,” he says. President Vander Hooven says that a big part of his philosophy is “Standing up to justice.” 

Vander Hooven most importantly wants his legacy to be that he cared for the lives and challenges that MWCC students faced. He wants to do anything in his power to help students overcome their struggles.

Despite the challenges the nation faced over the past year, President Vander Hooven has managed to create a positive and safe environment for MWCC faculty and students. The community looks forward to Vander Hooven’s work with MWCC, and to see how far he can bring the school.

Welcome to the Fall Semester!

A Welcome Back Address from President Vander Hooven

I want to welcome you to Mount Wachusett Community College. I hope you had a great summer. For those of you who are returning to the Mount, I think the first thing you might have noticed, or at least your car noticed, is the parking lot and roadways have been resurfaced! This was a much-needed construction project that took most of the summer to complete. What a big difference! 

I believe you will find success at MWCC. Our faculty and staff are ready to help you achieve your academic and personal goals. All you have to do is ask. There will be many challenges ahead for you. I cannot or will not promise that it will be an easy journey. But it will be fulfilling and successful if you let your instructors and our staff know about your challenges and obstacles. We will do our best to find solutions and suggestions to overcome those challenges along the way.

Again, welcome back and have a great year!

Jim Vander Hooven
President