Jonathan T. McDonald, a senior who majors in philosophy with double minors in history and American studies, made history at Bridgewater State University’s Commencement Convocation in May when he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education. It was the first time the institution had bestowed the honor on a current student.
Citing Jonathan’s demonstrated leadership on and off campus that includes the Student Government Association and extensive volunteerism; his positive attitude and tenacious focus on his contribution to education and the student experience, despite his physical setbacks, the Board of Trustees in conjunction with then President Dana Mohler-Faria and then-President-Elect Fredrick W. Clark Jr. presented Jonathan with a framed degree and doctoral hood.
A Middleboro resident who lives in Weygand Hall, Jonathan said he remained shocked for months after receiving the unprecedented honor and continued to grapple throughout the summer with receiving the recognition.
Two years prior, Jonathan had introduced himself to President Mohler-Faria when he saw the president getting coffee in the Rondileau Campus Center. “I went over to tell him that the Cape Verdean community has been very important and very supportive of me,” Jonathan said. “I wanted him to know that.”
The president then told Jonathan to contact his office to set up an appointment and the chance meeting that day resulted in regular meetings between the two over the subsequent two years. As Jonathan continued to keep in touch with the recently retired president, he also got to know the university’s new president, Mr. Clark.
“They have been my mentors,” Jonathan proudly said of his relationships with the 11th and 12th presidents in Bridgewater’s long history.
Jonathan recalls a meeting with President Mohler-Faria the week of final exams last spring. “He said, ‘The real reason why I called you in is that I always wanted to be the one to give you your degree, but I won’t be able to do that. You embody everything that Bridgewater State University stands for’,” Jonathan said.
“That shocked me. I don’t know what to make of it sometimes. It’s just who I am. I’m very open and affectionate. These are things I do anyway. I’m not used to it. I have health issues and I’ve struggled and persevered. I struggled with it over the summer and then I saw all of the connections and relationships I’ve made and now I understand that I have been commissioned to go forward and establish these relationships,” he said of the honor.
A Bridgewater student since 2009, Jonathan decided to major in philosophy upon receiving a bit of advice. “A priest friend of mine knows I want to eventually go into the ministry,” he said. “Philosophy was the best major that an aspiring priest could take that wasn’t theology.”
While entering the priesthood is not currently an option for Jonathan, he said he felt it was important to learn more about the American culture which led him to take American Studies, an interdisciplinary minor and that led him to minor in history, as well. “I like 19th- and 20th-century American history. I took an American history survey class and found that I didn’t know enough about America. It’s important for me to understand what it means to be an American,” he said.
Jonathan, throughout his life, has had to overcome a number of serious medical obstacles to persist in his studies. He is a senior with four courses remaining – two this fall and two next spring, when he plans to graduate at the university’s historic 175th Spring Commencement Convocation.
Following graduation, he wants to continue his studies at Bridgewater, as he will seek a master’s degree in student affairs counseling. His goal is to work in the field at Bridgewater. “I want to be able to facilitate that sort of experience that I’ve had with students – to become a go-to person. I’m 26 years old and I’ve been making these connections. Students need that.”
An active member of the campus community, Jonathan is a senator-at-large on the Student Government Association, a member of Phi Kappa Theta and the Cape Verdean Student Association.
“My social life keeps me going and focused on academics,” he said when asked about the importance of community engagement. “Everyone has kept me up. I am able to do what I do because of other people.”
Jonathan recalls how in the fall of 2014, after becoming ill and spending time in the hospital, members of the SGA took the time to reach out to him, making personal phone calls, sending messages and Christmas wishes.
“It’s an honor now to serve as senator-at-large,” he said. “Being a Disney kid, it’s like a dream come true! Phi Kappa Theta has also done a lot for me. I know what kind of man comes out of there. They’ve gone above and beyond and I only joined two months ago.”
Jonathan has been a member of CVSA for four years and members of the organization have “been like my family. Two of my closest friends are from the organization. An international student named his child after me. If anything can tell you that you’ve done something right in the world, it’s having a child named in your honor.”
And just this past summer, after being sick at home during which time he was visited by President Clark, Jonathan was able to do something he had always wanted to do at Bridgewater – become an orientation leader. “I’ve wanted to do that ever since I went through orientation here. I felt like I had been knighted.”
At a meeting of the CVSA earlier this fall where President Emeritus Mohler-Faria was the speaker, Jonathan said, “He told us ‘great leaders empower other people to be leaders.’ That is what he wants me to do,” Jonathan realized, which further enhanced his understanding of why he had been granted the honorary degree only months earlier.
Bridgewater State University, said Jonathan unabashedly, “will always have a big place in my heart. Not only do I have a voice, but my voice on this campus matters. I remember being a 9-year-old kid who didn’t have friends and struggled with depression, and seeing my status on this campus … it is hard to fathom.”
Jonathan calls Bridgewater his second home and the campus community his family. “I’m connected here. I’m so grateful for everything that people have done and the validation they have chosen to give me when they don’t have to. The university will always have a big place in my heart.” (Story by Eva T. Gaffney, G’01, for University News & Media)