By Valerie Velikaya
Photo by Mike Abell – THE CAMPUS LEDGER
vvelikay@jccc.edu
Before he became Student Senate President, Jeffery Redmond fit the mold of a typical student attending a community college.
Looking back, he recalls his first year as a cross between maintaining a bleak routine of making ends meet and working on a degree, which only encouraged the forthcoming of a long hiatus.
Organizations he has now built a rapport with like Student Senate, Model UN, International Club and others were not on the radar then.
“When I look back on the time when I wasn’t involved, it just seems so gray,” he said. “Now everything is full of color. It’s just really opened up and alive and there’s so many opportunities abound that are just waiting to be picked up.”
During his break from school, Redmond, 29, worked an array of dead-end jobs, eventually returning to develop a background in mechanical engineering. In contrast to prior experience, he returned with a purpose-driven mentality.
“There’s a huge difference between inspiration and motivation, and motivation comes and goes, but when you’re inspired, that is long-lasting. That’s just what it was. I got this epiphany where I got tired of waiting for someone else to write the laws or someone else to build the sustainable water systems or equipment that’s needed in these other countries or places around the world and it’s like … I’m just going to get the degree, and I’m going to go do it because… why should I wait on anybody else to do what I can do?”
On top of working three jobs, including one at a metal shop, Redmond became a full-time student. He participated in numerous organizations while fulfilling the role of Student Senate vice president.
“This time returning I was determined … I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way.”
Redmond’s persistence and personable way of communicating escalated him to Student Senate President where one of his primary objectives includes emphasizing “community” in community college.
Mindy Kinnaman, manager of student life and leadership development, thinks the Student Senate will move forward this year.
“So far, in his work with the executive board, [Redmond] has been committed to developing them as a team. If he is able to take that commitment to the full Senate, now that they have been elected, I believe that he will do a very good job as the president … one of the goals they set is to build more school pride,” said Kinnaman. “It is Jeff’s role as president to help lead that charge, and I am confident that he can guide the Senate as they develop a plan on how to move forward this year.”
“It’s just about trying to reach out to the community as much as possible and the best way to do that is word of mouth. The more people you can get to share their experiences, the better feedback we’ll get,” said Redmond. “It’s a challenge to interact because I can only interact with people as much as they want me to interact with them, and all I can do is just be persistent, and just keep going, and hold out longer than anyone else.”