Jordan Neves powerlifts the campus

Jefri Nazri

Staff Writer

In his fourth semester at Hudson Valley, Jordan Neves’s campus involvement stretches from physical activities to student activities.

Born in Valatie, Neves was homeschooled until tenth grade, when he started at Hudson Valley Community College where he got his diploma last year through the early high school program. The individual studies student plans on returning next year and eventually moving towards a career in health.

“I’m really interested in fitness and health, specifically in power-building, [which is] a cross between bodybuilding and powerlifting. In power-building, you go for size while simultaneously going for strength. I’m training for a competition right now,” said Neves.

Neves is looking to study alternative health and nutrition, which he continues to incorporate into his lifestyle.

When Neves isn’t lifting weights or going to classes, he’s working with the Student Senate. “I joined the Senate because I feel as though I’m a talkative person and that I’m able to promote our school. What I like about HVCC is that we’re a community college where everyone has a say, and being on the Senate allows me to have a voice among the students,” said Neves.

As a homeschooled student, Neves has had connection with Grace Harrison, the Student Senate President for most of his life. Neves joined the senate before Harrison was elected to office.

“There are a lot of students who don’t realize that there is a lot that our college has to offer. Promotion can be difficult because not everyone is going to read posters and signs, but I feel like it’s definitely going up, with each event we hold, we’re getting more exposure and the number of people attending increases,” he said.

Last November, Neves, along with seven of his colleagues in the Senate, attended the National Conference on Student Leadership held in Orlando. The conference provided an opportunity to promote academic and leadership growth and development while networking with other student senate members from all over the country.

He mentioned one of the ideas from the Orlando conference was the creation of a monthly club meeting. The first such meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. in Campus Center 150.

“We learned a lot from the conference and we are constantly trying to introduce and engage some of the ideas to our college,” said Neves.

One of the activities that the Senate is working on improving is the food pantry, and Neves wishes to create a coupon club to make the pantry easier for students to access. “We like to call it ‘The Student Pantry,’ which a lot of students utilize and I think is really helpful.”

Neves has encouraged more students to participate in student activities throughout the college, “If more students get involved in the Senate, it means that more people will generate more discussion, and more discussion will create more publicity, and that’s the goal of the senate, to have everyone involved, and feel like they belong here in college.”