逼哩逼哩

February 6, 2024, by Beth Santos

If you had asked Dr. Wayne Lesperance 25 years ago where he thought he would end up in his career, college president was one of the last things he would have predicted.

Instead, he might have suggested something a little more laid back: a political science professor at a school near the ocean, maybe. Working at a beach bar in his off-hours, cracking open a beer with friends, or going to a concert in the late evenings. Yet becoming New England College鈥檚 16th president, and first Hispanic president, has become not just a career but a mission in helping more Hispanic students find grounding, support and earn a university degree.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 aspire to be a college president,鈥� says Lesperance, who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Virginia.

When the university needed to temporarily fill an unexpected vacancy and approached him鈥攁 poly sci professor who was inspired to move to New Hampshire to get closer to the state鈥檚 first-in-the-nation political status鈥攈e expected to work in administration for two weeks.

Six years later, he has just completed his first year in as the college鈥檚 16th president, and he is loving every minute of it.

鈥淏eing in the classroom with students is my passion,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut as a teacher, I get to affect 20 to 25 students at a time. As an administrator, I鈥檓 helping 60 to 70 faculty members who are working with 20 to 25 students at a time. So, on a macro level, it鈥檚 more impactful.鈥�

That impact comes at a time when NEC鈥檚 own demographics are changing and becoming more diverse.

鈥淲hen I first got here, 逼哩逼哩was a college that attracted a lot of students that had the resources to go to Ivy League institutions but didn鈥檛 have the grades. And we were overwhelmingly white and male,鈥� Lesperance says. 鈥淭here was a lot of privilege at NEC.鈥�

Over time, he鈥檚 witnessed 鈥渁 real democratization鈥� of the student body.

鈥淲e are much more representative of everyday American kids and international students as well. So, seeing that diversity of background come in, whether it鈥檚 racial, ethnic, gender equity coming in鈥� it鈥檚 a very rewarding and relevant change,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or no other reason, it changes what happens in a classroom. When you have people in a classroom that have different life experiences, different values, different religions, different origin stories, it鈥檚 enriching, it makes every conversation in a classroom that much better. I鈥檓 proud that this community embraces that.鈥�

Seeing more on-campus diversity, especially in race and socioeconomic background, is close to Lesperance鈥檚 heart. Knowing that his own story very closely resembles that of many of his students gives him the unique opportunity to create support systems that work for them as well as their families.

鈥淭oday, about 33% of our students are students of color, and that includes an awful lot of Hispanic students. I was the first kid in my family to go to college,鈥� Lesperance says. 鈥淓ducation was incredibly important to my grandparents and parents, and sending me to college was sort of a community effort by the family.鈥�

That family effort continued as Lesperance pursued graduate work.

鈥淲hen I was encouraged by my professors to go on to get a master鈥檚 degree and eventually get a doctorate, I shared that with my family, and the family all came together and said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to help you with this.鈥� And they did. So, my success is their success,鈥� Lesperance says.

鈥淭here are a lot of families like mine that don鈥檛 have a lot of money or a history of educational attainment, especially at the graduate or doctoral level. And to be able to talk about that, as somebody who came from that background, I think it鈥檚 encouraging for others to pursue those opportunities.鈥�

Knowing intimately what his students are going through makes Lesperance鈥檚 work feel all the more relevant.

鈥淚 like to talk about how hard it is, the work that鈥檚 involved in it, the importance of that commitment. But ultimately, I think what really resonates, especially with Hispanic families, is the role of family,鈥� Lesperance says. 鈥淲hen I encountered a difficult moment, or I started second-guessing whether or not this was for me, there were those family members that either offered encouraging words or a kick in the butt. And I appreciated that.鈥�

Making sure students are activating their support network and that families are understanding their role in making higher education an option is a key component of Lesperance鈥檚 hope to grow the university from 3,500 to 5,000 students over time.

鈥淎 lot of colleges are in survival mode,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to get to a place where we鈥檙e thriving. So, 100 years from now, we鈥檙e still here and doing really great innovative things long after I鈥檓 gone,鈥� Lesperance says.

As new students come in from more diverse backgrounds, Lesperance has watched how much the wider community of locals has embraced them, and sees that as a template for more tolerance in a changing New Hampshire.

鈥淭he more diversity we see in New Hampshire, the better off our state is. As we talk about real issues and real concerns that we have as Americans and as members of communities, having those voices in to help us understand different perspectives, it makes us better,鈥� he says.

鈥淚t makes us smarter. It makes us stronger. I think that we鈥檙e seeing a lot of that already. And hopefully more will follow.鈥�

This article is featured in the spring 2024 issue of 603 Diversity.

603 Diversity鈥檚 mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state鈥檚 diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.

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