AROUND AND ABOUT
SPOTLIGHT ON: STUDENTS Bryant students participate in a myriad of learning experiences that reach far beyond campus. GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Aaron Pereira ’14 was one of 10 students from around the country selected to join the Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholars ™ Community Project team that spent part of winter break helping the Angeles National Forest Rangers in California with ongoing recovery efforts stemming from recent natural disasters. Bryant students have taken part in this project for the last four years. This year, Pereira and other students continued the project’s work on reforestation. They planted new saplings, installing protective tents and ground protection that aids growth. They also helped the rangers clean up the banks of the San Gabriel and Los Angeles Rivers. In his video application for the program, Pereira said: “I am striving to make a difference in the world, and I am passionate about helping others.” The Chicopee, MA, student is majoring in accounting and minoring in Spanish, and is a member of the Honors Program. A first-generation American, he took part in 4MILE , an
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orientation program for multicultural and international students, joined a fraternity and the Multicultural Student Union, and served as an Orientation Leader, Head Resident Assistant, and student coordinator for the Student Ambassador program.
Lane Garnett, University Relations Program Manager for Liberty Mutual Insurance, noted that “making a difference, whether through volunteering on-campus or in the local community, is a key concern for college students. “ The Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholars Community Project “gives students the opportunity to reach beyond their usual scope of involvement to help people in a different section of the country that has experienced several natural disasters,” said Garnett. In addition to Bryant, other participants this year hailed from Bentley, Howard, Illinois State, the University of Arizona, the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, the University of New Hampshire, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of Vermont. HELPING TO REBUILD AFTER HURRICANE SANDY Max Machado ’14 is doing his part to help the people from his native New Jersey recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. The founder of FAYD Apparel, Machado is donating proceeds from his “Restore the Shore” t-shirts to local organizations focused on reviving New Jersey beaches. “It’s great to give back to a place where I have so many great memories,” Machado, a finance concentrator and member of the football team, told The Alternative Press. FAYD Apparel is a double acronym that stands for “Forget Aaron Pereira ’14
All Your Doubts, Follow All Your Dreams.” “It’s a brand that everybody can relate to… and can be used as a motivator if you’re facing adversity in your life,” Machado said. STUDENTS LAUNCH ICE CREAM STARTUP The girlfriend-boyfriend team of Jillian Friot ’14 and Hooman Shahidi ’13 have launched Groton, MA, based Dolce Friot, an ice cream startup that offers kosher dessert options. The company’s ice cream flavors are organic and contain locallysourced ingredients. The ice cream is packaged in clear recyclable plastic containers. Friot, the president of the company, is studying entrepreneurship. Shahidi, an economics major with a concentration in industrial economics and market regulation, serves as director of sales and marketing and oversees business development efforts. The team is in discussions with local supermarket chains to stock their product. They project revenue will grow 25 percent in the next year. “We want to make it into the next Ben & Jerry’s,” Shahidi recently told the Worcester Business Journal. HONORS STUDENTS TRAVEL TO D.C. Members of Bryant’s Honors Program recently participated in The Washington, D.C., Experience. The students were granted behind-the-scenes access thanks to President Ronald K. Machtley — who previously served as a U.S. Congressman from Rhode Island — and Bryant’s wellconnected faculty.