Danielle Gonzalez

When Danielle Gonzalez experienced the Berkshires for the first time, she was simply passing through on a visit from her hometown of Tampa, Florida. She didn't know it then, but she and her husband, Franz, would end up settling in Williamstown, now their home for more than 20 years.

"I remember when I first moved up here, I couldn't get over how many farms I passed on the way to work. My family can't believe I live in a one-stop-light town," says Danielle, who had never seen snow before moving to the area. "It's a beautiful place to live."

Today, Danielle is chief human resources officer at Williams College, a position she has held for seven years, although she has been with the college for 18 years in total. Her team of 19 employees covers everything from benefits and payroll to student and staff employment. "It's a very broad job, but that keeps it interesting. No day, month, or year is ever the same, because there are all sorts of new challenges," she says. "I love that I'm all over campus for meetings and out and about, just bumping into people. I enjoy the human connection."

That emphasis on human connection and community impact is precisely what led Danielle to join the BCC Board of Trustees. She was serving as board chair of 1Berkshire when BCC Board Chair Julia Bowen reached out to ask if she'd be interested in becoming a BCC trustee. Seeing a natural fit, Danielle jumped at the opportunity.

My connection was initially through my 1Berkshire role, focusing on workforce development and linking the business community to the college. What's so inspiring about BCC is the impact that the college is having, not only as an educational institution, but also as a community convener.

Those qualities are deeply meaningful to Danielle, who didn't start out with that kind of experience herself. Having started her undergraduate studies at the University of South Florida, she felt lost in a sea of more than 30,000 students. She dropped out in her third year, unsure of what the future held.

"I just kind of floated off," says Danielle, who eventually finished her undergraduate degree at UMass Amherst. "But at BCC, there's a distinct culture being built. It's about support, purpose and responsiveness to community needs. The impact can be seen almost immediately, in our business community and in the students' lives. And that's really huge."

She admires the college's commitment to its students, noting, "There are so many wraparound services for students, and there's the lifelong learning component with OLLI. There's always so much camaraderie, too, which is something I had admired from afar."

While it's true that free tuition is available to a large percentage of the student population at BCC, Danielle says, giving is still critical. The college must constantly evolve to remain competitive, which means investing in essential areas. 

"These are necessary investments to attract and retain students, faculty and staff, as well as produce a skilled workforce. ​A​ll of that takes resources," Danielle says. This includes upgrading technology and modernizing classrooms, developing new programs and, crucially, supporting the college's wraparound services like the Campus Cupboard. 

"So much of what contributes to a student's success happens outside of the classroo​m. It's all of these other things that students manage in their life — having to balance work, and family, and groceries, and bills, and getting to campus. So, while many may not have to pay for tuition, they have to maintain all that life demands. And it's not easy."

Serving on the board and being a donor provides Danielle with an up-close perspective on the vibrant culture at BCC.

"BCC attracts a wide variety of students from all backgrounds and life experiences. It really creates a very rich learning culture in that way," she says.

Plus, Danielle says, BCC makes trying out college easy, even for those who may have doubts or are non-traditional learners.

"Maybe you're someone who's not sure if you want to go to school or get a degree, but BCC makes it approachable to test that out," says Danielle, who has been moved by the commencement stories of students who once thought college wasn't for them or who had previously struggled in school.

"You don't have to be that perfect student. I've seen that confidence boost in non-traditional learners who have built life skills that prepared them for this moment," she says.

That kind of student success is no accident.

"The admission process is so open and accessible. The schedules are flexible," she says. "And BCC has deeply committed faculty and staff. People are intrinsically motivated to be there for their love of learning." Plus, she adds, the faculty-to-student ratios at BCC are excellent, especially for a rural community.

While all community colleges offer good value, Danielle says, not all community colleges are the same.

That commitment, driven by the college's small size, is what makes BCC a truly unique and indispensable gem in the Berkshires.