Feature Stories 2021: Alexander Moulton '21: Becoming a leader

Alexander Moulton says when it comes to the rigor of earning his degree it is his peers and faculty advisor that keep him driven. He is studying computer science at UMass Dartmouth’s College of Engineering and will earn his BS degree this year. “One of the keys to success is surrounding yourself with successful people and sometimes that means you’re not the smartest person in the room. It does, however, usually mean you can learn from the people around you,” says the Wolfeboro, NH native.

Prior to enrolling at UMass Dartmouth, Alexander became familiar with the importance of leadership while serving in the US Navy, and continued to foster his abilities while serving on various teams and within organizations at UMassD. “Being a part of the Student Government Association (SGA), Pandemic Emergency Response Team (PERT), and serving as the Veteran Assistant at UMassD taught me to manage my time wisely. It also taught me to be the change you wish to see,” he says.

Prepared to lead

During the spring to fall of 2020 semesters, he served as SGA Senator, where his role involved participating in the shared governance at UMassD by making policy recommendations to the Board of Trustees. “Not everyone agrees in the SGA and at times that can be uncomfortable. To further complicate the role, you may have disagreements with administrators on policies,” he says. “The most valuable lesson that I learned in this role is to never compromise your character because it’s easy to agree with popular opinion. Being a leader means standing up for your ideas and values regardless of whether they’re popular.”

A passion for adding value

The SGA also prepared him to be a valuable asset to the PERT, a collaborative effort of students, faculty, staff, and administrators to help the University address the immediate needs of the community and maintain the continuity of education during COVID-19. As a part of this team, Alexander helped strategize how the school should operate, and served as an advisor on the operations of specific offices, the policies, and procedures.

He is currently a UMassD veterans assistant where his role involves assisting veterans with information on benefits and other resources. Having an eye for recognizing where operations and policies can be improved, he served on the Veteran Task Force and co-wrote the executive summary. “I was able to make a number of recommendations to improve how we serve our student veterans based on the research we conducted.” He also serves on the Veteran Services Standing Committee to enact these recommendations and plan the future of Veterans Services at UMass Dartmouth. “This position has taught me to be creative in my approach to solving problems,” Alexander says.

“I also think these experiences have taught me to be more involved. You can easily keep your head down and get through college or even your career, but if you go the extra distance by getting involved, you establish more of a community. Join a student club or organization and you’re likely to find that you have more invested in the University and have probably made some friends along the way,” he says. “If I can leave UMass Dartmouth even a little better than when I enrolled, my mission here will have been a great success.”

“Being a leader means standing up for your ideas and values regardless of whether they’re popular.”