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Christopher M Wilbur

Biography

Profile: It was a proud day in May 2011 for Chris Wilbur and his mom. The New Bedford, MA, residents were invited to the State House in Boston, where Gov. Deval Patrick honored Chris for his academic achievements at Bristol Community College, as well as for his dedication to community service.  It must have been an especially proud moment for Chris’s mother Patricia, a retired teacher.  Chris is bound for the Ivy League, Brown University to be specific. He got a bit of a late start on his college education, working several jobs and living overseas for almost five years.  But he wouldn’t change a thing.  The delay in college gave Chris a chance to mature and learn about life and the cultures of the many nations he visited.  Enrolling in community college, Chris made up for lost time, graduating with a near perfect GPA and became editor of the school newspaper, along with participation in various other service organizations on and off the Bristol campus.  His goal is to become a diplomat and study international relations.

Inspiration:  “As I look across the professional mentors who have influenced me positively and profoundly,” Chris said recently, “I cannot find one who influenced me personally as powerfully as a dear friend at the time I was beginning Bristol Community College, Jane Chapin.”  Chris said Ms. Chapin’s worldliness and experience was “something inspirational to me...her drive, ambition and passion mirrored mine. She was focused and experienced, and helped me channel my energies to the right places.”

Aspiration:  After earning a degree in International Relations at Brown, Chris hopes for a career in the diplomatic corps.

Making a Difference: Chris gave everything he had to the Bristol CC experience.  An advisor was greatly impressed with the “prodigious amount of time he spent on extracurricular activities.”

Since his first semester Chris sought out opportunities to serve and lead across a wide spectrum of interests. He was President of the school’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, Editor of the newspaper, served as a Student Ambassador and was elected to serve as Student Trustee. On a statewide level, he chaired the Massachusetts Student Advisory Council and was a voting member of the Massachusetts Board of Education.

Accolades:  Chris was named as one of the “29 That Shine” by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, was Valedictorian of his graduating class at Bristol CC and won the Bronze Shield Award for his dedication and passion as editor of The Observer student newspaper.

Interesting Fact:  Chris admitted he is quite good at imitations “and they may come out spontaneously in the right company.”

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