You Can B an Initiator – Brendan Vann (’23)

You Can Be an Initiator - Brendan Vann, Class of 2023, Major in Corporate Finance and Accounting and Minor in Law

Brendan was a hyper involved student in high school, just as he is now at Bentley. He grew up in New Jersey, and in high school he was the President of his class, played soccer, and was a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). FBLA is where his interest and passion for business was born. This, combined with a love for Boston (particularly their sports teams) is what brought him to Bentley.

Upon arriving to Bentley, Brendan was excited to continue to be an involved student and immerse himself into the Bentley community. He was certain he would continue as a leader in student government since this was a great organization to connect with students and learn about Bentley culture. After devoting a lot of time and effort into his campaign, Brendan was elected President of the Class of 2023. His other involvements include being the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee for SGA, a member of Bentley Investment Group, a member of Campus Activity Board, a brother of Delta Kappa Epsilon, and President of Forest & Kresge Hall Council.

What Brendan loves most about his involvements is that he has a platform to bring people together and keep the sense of community at Bentley alive. One organization that allows him to do this is the Residence Hall Association (RHA). Since it can feel difficult to be a part of a community during a pandemic, Brendan and the other members of the RHA plan fun events for their residents, like socially-distanced BBQ’s.

However, despite our best efforts, it’s hard for us to be connected 100% of this time. After getting sent home because of the pandemic his freshman year, Brendan noticed a disconnect between student leaders and that important tasks were being set aside. He, along with other heavily involved student leaders, spearheaded the creation of the Bentley Coalition of Governing Bodies. This coalition has allowed the three governing organizations, SGA, AIA, and Class Cabinet, to become one cohesive unit and to work more efficiently to advocate for other students.

“People are passionate about things, but too busy and not willing to commit time to making change.”

Not only did Brendan help found the Bentley Coalition of Governing Bodies, but he also worked with a fellow student leader to create the Return to Campus Student Advisory Board. Due to the amount of confusion and uncertainty regarding what the next academic year following the outbreak of COVID-19 would look like, it was important to Brendan that the Bentley administration was aware of what its students wanted and needed. This committee of 15 students receives proposals from different Bentley administrators, and provide feedback from a student perspective. This board is integral to keeping effective communication, as well as a connection between Bentley faculty and students during such an unprecedented experience.

“I’m only a sophomore; I still have two more years to make a difference.”

In his remaining time at Bentley, Brendan hopes to see more students taking on an active role in their community. He knows every student has something they’re passionate about. Until others are ready to speak up for themselves, Brendan is prepared to put in the hard work and be an advocate for others.