Meet Bryant's Student Service Leaders

Student leaders promote the importance of service learning and getting involved in the community.

Bryant is committed to providing opportunities for students to get involved in the community. Two students who are a vital part of this effort are Chris Walker '08 (Brooklyn, NY) and Meaghan Toomey, '08 (North Easton, MA), Student Service Leaders in the Office of Student Activities.

The Service Leaders are responsible for identifying opportunities for student groups to engage in activities on and off campus. These activities help to develop leadership skills, foster a sense of pride, and allow students to help improve the lives of others.

Currently, the pair is working to collect service reports from all student organizations on campus to better understand the number of projects undertaken by Bryant students.

"Service is part of our education that cannot be taught in the theory," said Walker. "It is an experience that must be absorbed to get the full effect."

Volunteering gives students the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of people and opens their eyes to new experiences, said Toomey.

"Getting involved in the community also helps students better understand themselves and the need to give back after they leave Bryant," she said.

Walker was initially drawn to Bryant by the success of the football team and accomplished head coach Marty Fine. Once on campus, "I fell in love with the way the campus was set up and the personal attention Bryant gives you," he said.

A marketing concentrator with a minor in legal studies, Walker has played three years as a defensive lineman on theBryant Bulldogs. This year he played in eight games recording two tackles and forced a fumble.

He earned an internship last summer with Connecticut Business Systems, an office technology company in Newington. Only three weeks into the internship, he was offered a job after graduation.

Still, he is keeping his options open. He is considering pursuing a master's degree at Bryant or going to law school after graduation. He is also attracted to the pharmaceutical sales industry where he could put his marketing background to good use.

While he has yet to decide what he would like to do after graduation, he is happy with the choice he made just over three years ago.

"The best decision of my life was coming to Bryant," he said.

Before deciding to come to Bryant, Toomey attended a Ladies Night program organized by the Office of Admission, which gave her a sneak peak into life as a Bryant student. She most liked "the feeling that I was a face and a name and not just a number," she said.

In addition to her role as a Student Service Leader, Toomey is president of Bryant Helps, one of the most active community service organizations on campus, and is a Resident Assistant.

Toomey's favorite professor so far has been Joan Camara, a lecturer in the history and social sciences department. "Professor Camara challenges her students to think outside of the box through class discussions, debates, and open-ended questions," said Toomey.

"Her classes are always interesting and she makes them very interactive and focused on the students and what is going on in the world, which is important for all of us to understand," she said.

Toomey would tell prospective students that the future is bright at Bryant.

"The campus is very student oriented and expanding rapidly, which is exciting not only for current students but new students as well."