![Picture of Shaun Morand]( "Picture of Shaun Morand")
WELLESLEY HILLS, MA (May 9, 2018) — Army Veteran, Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Shaun Morand has been selected to address MassBay’s graduating class on Thursday, May 17, 2018. Morand will graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and has maintained a 4.0 grade point average every semester at MassBay.
In 2011, Morand was entering his sophomore year at Briarwood College when the attacks on September 11th happened. Feeling he needed to do something, he and a friend headed toward New York City to volunteer in any way they could. Morand and his friend were unable to get close to Ground Zero, choosing instead to help give out water and masks to first responders in the surrounding areas close to the former site of the twin towers.
After 9/11 Morand decided to leave college and enlist in the Army to serve his country. First in the Connecticut National Guard, and then as part of the 25th Infantry Division, Morand was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight in the Global War on Terror. Morand was medically retired from the Natick Soldier Systems Center due to combat injuries sustained in Iraq, and has since become involved in supporting local veteran’s charities. He has participated in a 200 mike ruck march from Boston to New York City’s Ground Zero to raise awareness of veteran suicides and another across the entire state of Massachusetts.
Morand is the first in his family to graduate college and is transferring to San Diego, CA with hopes to pursue his bachelor degree in English. He considers himself a lifelong learner, with his future goals of continuing his education to earn a PhD and becoming a writer. Morand lives in Framingham with his wife, Sonya, has two children Brooklyn and Madeline, and a dog named Ranger.
MassBay Community College was recently ranked by the Brookings Institution as one of the top schools for value added and earned salaries in the workforce. Ranked #1 for 2-year colleges in Massachusetts, #2 in New England and ranked #16 nationally. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded life-long learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.