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'25 wanted to pursue a degree in crime and justice studies (CJS) from a New England university, so he packed up and moved to UMassD all the way from North Carolina. 

Since arriving in his first year, MacDonald has taken full advantage of his time as a Corsair. He is graduating as a double CJS and philosophy major with both legal studies and applied ethics minors in addition to holding multiple leadership positions on campus.  

MacDonald’s experiences as a student and as an advocate for his peers have left a lasting impact, both on him and on the campus community. 

President of Student Government Association

MacDonald served as President of the Student Government Association (SGA) during his junior and senior years, overseeing the and . He ran weekly meetings with each group to address student issues, vote on club funding, and pass resolutions.  

"We’ve passed resolutions that were sent up to the Chancellor’s Office, including assisting with their Hunger Free Campus initiative. Our senate’s signature helped increase the amount of funding in the state budget to combat food insecurity in Massachusetts. That was a really cool achievement," MacDonald said. 

Finding solutions to help the UMassD community

In conjunction with his role as SGA president, MacDonald served on the Student Fee Allocation Committee (SFAC) to increase and allocate funds for student clubs. One issue that MacDonald and the SFAC resolved was funding the Black History Month Show, a campus-wide celebration hosted by the Frederick Douglass Unity House. 

The show is a signature event that annually fills the auditorium. However, the funding was inconsistent each year, and the Unity House repeatedly faced difficulties financing it. 

"To address this, I worked with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Kimberly Scott to create a fund within the fee allocation dedicated to the show. Now the event is guaranteed the resources to run annually." 

The Unity House presented MacDonald and the board members with the Leadership Excellence Award to express their gratitude for the SFAC’s dedication. 

"They called us up on stage by surprise to present the award during the show. That was a big accomplishment, and it was nice to physically see the impact of our work." 

Rewarding work

"The most rewarding part of being president is seeing the SGA's positive impact on the community. It’s encouraging, especially when there’s been an ongoing issue that people want to resolve. Developing ideas for solutions to create positive change is always rewarding," MacDonald said. 

Learning through experience and coursework

MacDonald’s extracurricular work supplements what he learned in class, equipping him with an array of knowledge and experience to prepare him for the future. 

"I’ve learned that if people are struggling economically, socially, or within the university, it’s often because they don’t know what resources are available to them. Supplying students with information on who they can reach out to, programs they can utilize, and supportive measures is important." 

"Comparing my work in the SGA to my studies has been fascinating. Within the justice system, there are similar issues to the ones I’ve addressed in my leadership roles. A lot of underrepresented groups within the system don’t have access to the resources they need to succeed. Studying and addressing those issues, both here and outside UMassD, has been really interesting," he said. 

Why UMassD?

"I chose UMassD because the CJS department stood out. This is one of the few schools in the area that has a crime and justice department rather than a criminal justice department. UMassD’s program focuses on the effects of crime on the justice system and exploring each area individually and together is rather unique." 

Looking back

"The advice I give to students is to get involved in something. It wasn’t until I joined that I made connections. Whether it's a club, an organization, or a weekly event, engaging with people and becoming involved outside of class is the most important thing." 

"I always tell people that college is what you make of it, and I definitely made the most out of my time that I could. There’s not been a time as a UMassD student when I've been bored!" 

Looking ahead

After graduation, MacDonald plans to attend law school. "After my involvement on campus and with SGA, I’m interested in advocacy. I want to go into criminal defense or a similar specialization. It's a unique opportunity for me to have so much experience in advocacy throughout college, and it’s something I want to carry with me throughout law school." 

鈥淚 always tell people that college is what you make of it, and I definitely made the most out of my time that I could. There鈥檚 not been a time as a UMassD student when I've been bored!鈥�