Mike Hannigan, Student Senate President and former GCC Student Trustee, recently shared his transformative journey from a place of personal struggle to becoming a dedicated community leader.

Hannigan, who moved to Greenfield less than two years ago, described having been at a real low point. However, his life took a dramatic turn after signing up for a volunteer shift at Greenfield’s pay-what-you-can Stone Soup Café and enrolling in three classes at GCC through the MassReconnect program.

"What I was missing was a connection to community and the opportunity to be involved in something bigger than myself—something that benefited others," Hannigan reflected. "Stone Soup Café and Greenfield Community College provided that for me. They changed my life."

An internship at Stone Soup Café introduced him to the principles of permaculture and the impact of community service. Hannigan also became involved in gleaning with the nonprofit Rachel's Table, which harvests and distributes leftover produce from local farms to the community.

Now, as president of the GCC Permaculture Club, Hannigan has been instrumental in expanding access to fresh food for students on campus. He highlighted the club's involvement in organizing free farmers' markets, including the annual Thanksgiveaway event coinciding with Thanksgiving.

Hannigan emphasized the critical role of GCC's student support services in enabling his community engagement. "I'm so grateful to the GCC community—because even if you didn't sign up to change people's lives, you are.

Not just mine but countless others," he said.