News: Walsh, Youngest person to graduate from Suffolk
originally published in the June 7 issue of the Suffolk Journal
By John S. Forrester
Among the 1,720 Suffolk students receiving their diplomas in this year's commencement ceremony, Michael Walsh stands out in the crowd, though you might not recognize him. He can't smoke, gamble, or even vote - nonetheless he received a Bachelor of Arts in Government. That's because Walsh is a mere 17 years old; but he wouldn't want you to pay attention to that minor detail.
Growing up north of Boston in Essex County, Walsh was home-schooled by his parents for most of his education, later attending Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. There, Walsh said, he gained two years worth of college credits by the time he was 16 years old. From there, the ambitious student decided to broaden his educational horizons.
When it came time to select a college to attend, Walsh says he chose Suffolk "because it was close, convenient, a friendly and warm atmosphere. There's everything you could want there."
Knowing he wanted to study government and politics, Suffolk's reputation as a starting spot for many Massachusetts politicians also factored into his decision, Walsh said. Its close proximity to home was also a factor.
"My parents didn't want their 15-year-old son going too far from home," he explains. By the time Walsh turned 16, he was a registered student at Suffolk.
Associate Professor Judith Dushku of the Government Department, who advised Walsh his first year at Suffolk, remembers her first meeting with the young student."He was very eager, and willing to try anything," said Professor Dushku, "sort of like, don't take my age as any indication of whether or not I can get anything accomplished." In the 2004-2005 school year, Walsh was nominated for both Outstanding Junior and Outstanding Transfer Student of the Year.
Last Spring, he appeared on the Dean's List of High Honors for the College of Arts and Sciences and Walsh made this year's edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.Joining the SGA as senator during his junior year, Walsh worked extensively with the Student Affairs Committee and acted as Secretary in Student Government Association under President Alan Motenko's administration. Wayne Atkins, a senator for the Class of 2007, described the teenaged Senator as SGA's "Doogie Howser," in an editorial published this year.
"He reminded Alan [Motenko] of the rules a lot. He's a rules guy," said Atkins in a phone interview. "Being a rules guy, he tended to frustrate people and he'd take on so much responsibility that he would stretch himself thin."
According to Atkins in an opinion piece printed in the April 26 edition of The Suffolk Journal, Walsh took on so many duties and dedicated so many hours to his work with SGA that he sometimes neglected seemingly less important aspects of his secretary position, such as keeping detailed minutes of each meeting.
Two weeks before the end of his term as senator this year, Walsh resigned his secretary position, but retained his Senatorial seat. Dubbing the incident as "SGA's darkest hour," Atkins praised Walsh's significant contributions to SGA and the student body as a whole.
"I wanted to serve my class…there was no reason to leave [the SGA entirely]," commented Walsh, declining to elaborate further.
Outside the academic realm, Walsh had his fair share of social accomplishments as well."I had a world-class social experience. SGA formed the first friends that I made and the core of the friends that I continued to hold at Suffolk. But I made friends everywhere," said Walsh, describing his social scene.
When asked if there were any disadvantages to being a younger student in college, Walsh brushes the notion aside."Not really," Walsh said, "I feel like the route I took gave me every possible advantage. What few disadvantages there were, I was able to overcome with the help of family and friends."
Though nonchalant about the experience as a whole, Walsh does admit one of the initial disadvantages was "a lack of understanding of how to interact with my peers on a level playing field."Associating with students in their 20s, his "normal reaction would be to treat them as superiors. My friends and family helped me gain a sense of equality and fitting in."
One of the experiences that helped him along this process, he said, was living in Suffolk's dorm at 10 Somerset St. Living in the dorm was "amazing," Walsh said, "meeting people, being in such close quarters with individuals of the likes I would never normally associate with. It was an amazing experience, learning to appreciate people for their diversity."
Though he has learned much during his two years at Suffolk, also developing personally, Walsh said he doesn't plan to stop there. Walsh, who turns 18 on July 1, is entering Suffolk Law School next fall with tentative plans to study Constitutional law.
originally published in the June 7 issue of the Suffolk Journal
By John S. Forrester
Among the 1,720 Suffolk students receiving their diplomas in this year's commencement ceremony, Michael Walsh stands out in the crowd, though you might not recognize him. He can't smoke, gamble, or even vote - nonetheless he received a Bachelor of Arts in Government. That's because Walsh is a mere 17 years old; but he wouldn't want you to pay attention to that minor detail.
Growing up north of Boston in Essex County, Walsh was home-schooled by his parents for most of his education, later attending Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. There, Walsh said, he gained two years worth of college credits by the time he was 16 years old. From there, the ambitious student decided to broaden his educational horizons.
When it came time to select a college to attend, Walsh says he chose Suffolk "because it was close, convenient, a friendly and warm atmosphere. There's everything you could want there."
Knowing he wanted to study government and politics, Suffolk's reputation as a starting spot for many Massachusetts politicians also factored into his decision, Walsh said. Its close proximity to home was also a factor.
"My parents didn't want their 15-year-old son going too far from home," he explains. By the time Walsh turned 16, he was a registered student at Suffolk.
Associate Professor Judith Dushku of the Government Department, who advised Walsh his first year at Suffolk, remembers her first meeting with the young student."He was very eager, and willing to try anything," said Professor Dushku, "sort of like, don't take my age as any indication of whether or not I can get anything accomplished." In the 2004-2005 school year, Walsh was nominated for both Outstanding Junior and Outstanding Transfer Student of the Year.
Last Spring, he appeared on the Dean's List of High Honors for the College of Arts and Sciences and Walsh made this year's edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.Joining the SGA as senator during his junior year, Walsh worked extensively with the Student Affairs Committee and acted as Secretary in Student Government Association under President Alan Motenko's administration. Wayne Atkins, a senator for the Class of 2007, described the teenaged Senator as SGA's "Doogie Howser," in an editorial published this year.
"He reminded Alan [Motenko] of the rules a lot. He's a rules guy," said Atkins in a phone interview. "Being a rules guy, he tended to frustrate people and he'd take on so much responsibility that he would stretch himself thin."
According to Atkins in an opinion piece printed in the April 26 edition of The Suffolk Journal, Walsh took on so many duties and dedicated so many hours to his work with SGA that he sometimes neglected seemingly less important aspects of his secretary position, such as keeping detailed minutes of each meeting.
Two weeks before the end of his term as senator this year, Walsh resigned his secretary position, but retained his Senatorial seat. Dubbing the incident as "SGA's darkest hour," Atkins praised Walsh's significant contributions to SGA and the student body as a whole.
"I wanted to serve my class…there was no reason to leave [the SGA entirely]," commented Walsh, declining to elaborate further.
Outside the academic realm, Walsh had his fair share of social accomplishments as well."I had a world-class social experience. SGA formed the first friends that I made and the core of the friends that I continued to hold at Suffolk. But I made friends everywhere," said Walsh, describing his social scene.
When asked if there were any disadvantages to being a younger student in college, Walsh brushes the notion aside."Not really," Walsh said, "I feel like the route I took gave me every possible advantage. What few disadvantages there were, I was able to overcome with the help of family and friends."
Though nonchalant about the experience as a whole, Walsh does admit one of the initial disadvantages was "a lack of understanding of how to interact with my peers on a level playing field."Associating with students in their 20s, his "normal reaction would be to treat them as superiors. My friends and family helped me gain a sense of equality and fitting in."
One of the experiences that helped him along this process, he said, was living in Suffolk's dorm at 10 Somerset St. Living in the dorm was "amazing," Walsh said, "meeting people, being in such close quarters with individuals of the likes I would never normally associate with. It was an amazing experience, learning to appreciate people for their diversity."
Though he has learned much during his two years at Suffolk, also developing personally, Walsh said he doesn't plan to stop there. Walsh, who turns 18 on July 1, is entering Suffolk Law School next fall with tentative plans to study Constitutional law.
posted by John S. Forrester at 3:39 PM
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