This international business major transformed a leadership opportunity into
a calling to serve.
Admittedly shy when he was younger, it did not take senior Jeremy Bennett long to break out of his shell. In fact, there seems to be little he is not involved in.
A graduate of nearby Canon McMillan High School, Bennett was excited to have the opportunity to continue his education at a college close to home. Always focused on academics, he wanted to fit in, to make a name for himself around campus.
Now just months from graduation, Bennett is planning to attend graduate school and eventually obtain his MBA. He is president of the Black Student Union (BSU) and has been an orientation leader for three years. It has not always been easy, he said, but he has made an impact on campus, becoming a leader at a place where everybody knows his name. Most recently, he played for the W&J team in a charity basketball game against the Steelers, helping to raise money for Washington County Special Olympics.
“I wanted to make a difference in my time here,” he said. “I have been given the opportunity to get involved and make a difference and I believe I have been able to do that. My work with the BSU, and serving as an orientation leader, has been particularly rewarding.”
The international business major and French minor is employed part time in the Office of Student Life, where he said he received invaluable work experience. He has also been involved in a variety of community service projects, including First-year Day of Service, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and volunteering with the Humane Society. He has studied abroad as well, spending a semester of his junior year in Paris.
“I would tell everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. I would go back in a heartbeat,” Bennett added. “My W&J education has prepared me to handle any situation.”
