Meet Gio Toledo 鈥� a twenty-one-year-old Program Aide for the Food for Thought Pantry out of the Leominster Campus. Gio started at Mount Wachusett Community College in 2022 amidst the COVID 19 pandemic and like many of us, he struggled to adjust.听
“Everything was online, and it was difficult to learn the balance. With college being new it鈥檚 tough in general but when you aren鈥檛 face to face with people it makes it even more of a challenge,鈥� said Toledo.听
As a student, Gio worked in the Learning Success Center as a writing consultant and fell in love with helping people. After taking a few psychology courses he discovered he could turn his passion into a career. 鈥淚 always knew I liked helping people, but I did not really know I wanted to do it as a career at first, but I am definitely glad that I picked this major,鈥� said Gio. He graduated with an Associate Degree in Human Services in 2022, and began his career as a Program Aide shortly after.听
Gio works helping students and families gain access to the Food for Thought Pantry. The campus pantry helps to serve a large population of students from both Gardner and Leominster campuses.听 Financial stability, housing, and access to basic necessities are some of the most common struggles faced by our student population. Any student who is taking classes at 开元棋牌 can use the Food for Thought pantry.听
Toledo is proud to be a part of the campus pantry and the impact it makes on students and their families. 鈥�Knowing that what we do here helps people; even if it鈥檚 not the fix to the problem; it makes it so that they鈥檙e able to continue working on their studies without the added pressure of worrying about what they are going to eat or how they are going to eat,鈥� says Gio.听
Gio is close to completing his Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in Human Services at Fitchburg State University. In the next five years, he would like to get his master鈥檚 degree and work as a student counselor or advisor for the high school or college population.听
If you are interested in learning more about the Food for Thought Pantry, please visit mwcc.edu/pantry听