Will McGuinness ’17SPS, Director of CAA Marketing, Digital Initiatives & Outreach
I grew up in what many rankings have determined to be one of the worst places in America. I spent most of my childhood in its Boys and Girls Club, and the experience formed my identity in significant ways.
Recently, I returned to my hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts and delivered a keynote speech to an audience of 500+ donors and high school seniors who deserved recognition and prizes. Some are going on to college, but the majority are entering the workforce or the military. The speech was an opportunity to examine my life, my privilege, and what I could do to make a difference in the lives of kids who had a similar experience to mine.
Now, I’m starting a new research and development board for this Club that fundraises to develop better mentoring and better training programs in addition to scholarship opportunities for young people who don’t think higher education is an option.
“Stand, Columbia” has been this University’s alma mater and rallying message for more than a century. It’s based on the notion that we can sit back in a state of shock by what happens in the world — or we can stand for a higher ideal of what life should be. I stand to create new opportunities for those, like me, who didn’t think they could ever attend an Ivy League school. What do you stand for?
