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WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (May 7, 2019) – MassBay Community College is pleased to announce that Human Services student, Kimberly Boudreau, has been selected as MassBay’s representative for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s “29 Who Shine” award.
In May 2011, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education launched “29 Who Shine,” a commencement season awards program to recognize 29 outstanding student graduates from the Commonwealth’s public higher education system. Each honoree from a community college, state university, or the University of Massachusetts campus is nominated by a faculty or staff member or by a university awards committee.
Boudreau, a Framingham resident, has been in recovery from a drug addiction since October 2015. She has gone above and beyond to help students who are in similar situations, while also sharing her story of sobriety one-on-one and in presentations to classes. Boudreau ended a 12-year battle with addiction when she became pregnant with her son, and soon after his birth, she decided to start classes at MassBay to begin paving her future path for her new family. In her words, “I was not sure I would even be able to complete my certificate in Human Services, yet here I am, about to complete my associate degree and transfer to earn my bachelor’s degree.”
Boudreau loves helping her community, whether it is raising donations for local charities or running the College’s Human Services Club to set up donation drives on campus to help various organizations. This year, through the Human Services Club, she assisted 10 families through donations to the Salvation Army for Christmas. Boudreau also coordinated the gathering and packing of 150 Valentine’s Day bags and distributed the bags to homeless individuals in the Framingham and Haverhill area.
Besides her philanthropic activities, Boudreau has made Dean’s List every semester she has been a full-time student. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for two-year students, the Psi Beta National Honor Society in Psychology, in 2018 she was awarded to the MassBay’s Silver Key Student Service Honor Society, which recognizes students who have contributed to the College and the community-at-large, and she is a One Family Scholar.
Boudreau currently lives in Framingham with her son, Blake. She will receive her Associate of Arts degree in Human Services later this month. She currently has a 3.6 GPA.
“Kimberly represents the very best of MassBay and of this Commonwealth,” said MassBay President, Dr. David Podell. “Her personal story of overcoming addiction as a single mother and her passion for advocacy, while maintaining high academic standards is deeply inspiring. We are honored to stand with Kimberly for this special honor.”
“Professor Hannigan and I have no doubt that Kim’s story will resonate with so many people that continue to try an overcome addition and want to excel,” said MassBay Human Services Professor Liz Watson. “Kim’s ability to persevere towards her goals, even when life becomes challenging, is a true testament that with support and motivation, there are positive results. We see Kim continuing her education in human services, continuing her advocacy for peers to overcome the challenges of addiction, and giving back to the community as a lifelong commitment. As she graduates, we will continue to be her biggest supporters in her reaching her goals.”
Boudreau and the other 28 students will be recognized by Governor Charlie Baker at an Awards Ceremony and Reception at the Massachusetts State House on Friday, May 3, 2019.
Students selected for the “29 Who Shine” award must meet the following criteria;
- Student graduate shows exceptional promise as a future leader in civic affairs or in business or professional activing in Massachusetts, having already demonstrated an ability to contribute to the civic and economic wellbeing of the Commonwealth.
- Pursue a career track or interest for which there is a demonstrated need in the Commonwealth, such as a high-demand STEM-related career (health care, life sciences, information technology), or a start-up business that will produce jobs, or a community service role to better the lives of fellow Massachusetts citizens (such as teaching, working in a social service agency, or community organization, etc.).
- Massachusetts resident who plans to continue living and working in the state upon graduation. A student who plans to live in Massachusetts after furthering his or her education, either in or out of state, would also qualify.
- Complete his/her degree or certificate requirements at the Massachusetts community college, state university or UMass campus within the academic year.