Kimberly Nashawaty, ’19
Student, servant leader, and Massasoit spokesperson: new graduate does it all.
Her peers and professors described her as a serious, hardworking, and conscientious student. Her activities and accolades at Massasoit were undoubtedly impressive: President of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society; Student Senate President; Presidential Student Ambassador; Honors Scholar; and a Women’s Leadership Group leader.
But what truly made Kimberly Nashawaty an asset to Massasoit and the local community is her personal commitment to serving the needs of others and her precedence for civic engagement.
A Pembroke resident and non-traditional student who pursued higher education after her own children attended college, Kim possesses a keen determination to push herself out of her comfort zone. She transformed from an introverted student to an outstanding Honors student leader and is a staunch supporter for sexual assault victims and those experiencing homelessness.
As the Student Senate President, Kim organized a yearlong initiative to assist Father Bill’s and MainSpring homeless shelter in Brockton. She worked diligently to champion for the cause, and after recognizing the shelter needed assistance with preparing and serving meals, Kim scheduled several dates for the Student Senators to travel to the shelter to serve meals for the residents.
Kim continued the relationship with Father Bill’s and MainSpring and demonstrated her unselfish commitment to and advocacy for those experiencing homelessness by leading campus wide holiday drives to collect coats, hats, gloves, socks, and toiletries for the shelter.
Additionally, Kim actively led all Student Senate sponsored events, including an Oxfam hunger banquet, a prison book drive program, Red Cross blood drives, and holiday parties for the Department of Children and Families.
As a certified Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative Program peer mentor, Kim assisted students with intellectual or developmental disabilities in their pursuit of higher education.
Kim’s accomplishments and success has been recognized outside of Massasoit as well. This year, she has been honored twice at the Massachusetts State House; once for being named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-Massachusetts Academic Team, an elite list of 36 academics from across the state, and then as Massasoit’s “29 Who Shine” honoree for 2019.
29 Who Shine is a commencement season awards program that recognizes 29 outstanding student graduates from the Commonwealth’s public higher education system. At that awards ceremony, she met Governor Baker and other Massachusetts House and Senate leaders.
Kim really does do it all. She even served as a spokesperson for Massasoit when she was invited by 95.9 WATD FM, a South Shore radio station, to talk about her All-Massachusetts Academic Team accomplishment live on-air.
When asked by host Christine James what advice she would give, particularly as a non-traditional student, to someone thinking about applying to Massasoit or continuing their education, Kim replied:
“I would say, just open the door and go in. And talk to somebody, because there’s so much support there. It doesn’t matter where you come from, and it doesn’t matter how old you are. There’s always somebody there that can explain the situation, can explain how to get financial aid or where to go if you can’t get financial aid – how to work through the scholarship system.
Kim continued, “The support systems, the writing groups, the math tutoring, there’s so much available. There shouldn’t be anything stopping you. Don’t let your self-esteem stop you from going.”
As a servant leader with an innate ability to collaborate with students and individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances, Kim will continue to make a positive impact in Massachusetts’ communities. She is leaving Massasoit with an Associate in Science in Criminal Justice degree, a Law Enforcement Certificate, and a 3.51 GPA.
Kim will be attending Suffolk University in the fall to study sociology with a concentration in crime and justice. Her dream is to work for a program like the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction’s new People Achieving Change Together initiative, which is specially designed to reduce recidivism amongst young adult offenders.
Massasoit will certainly miss you Kim.