Ezequiel De Leon is a senior Chemistry major in the American Chemical Society Approved Concentration, with minors in Biology and Mathematics. He is the president of the Student Government Association, a resident assistant and a supplemental instructional leader for first-year Biology students. Zeke is also a first-generation college student and a member of the campus affinity groups, Brother to Brother and GenerationOne.

What attracted you to Framingham State?

When I came to Accepted Students Day, there was something different about Framingham State compared to the other schools I visited. The atmosphere was really welcoming, and everyone seemed very kind. I felt like I could really fit in, and it made my choice easy. What I love most are the opportunities. Everywhere you turn, there is someone working on something, a position that is open or a faculty member you can talk to. There is so much room for growth and development and so much support for it. I wasn’t able to pick up on that when touring other colleges and universities, but it’s something I’m really grateful for at Framingham State.

How have you gotten involved outside the classroom?

I’m currently president of the Student Government Association, which I love. I get to work with the student clubs and organizations on campus to make sure their needs are being met and they are being represented. It’s a really unique position that I’m in, to be able to be a resource for other people. I’ve also had the pleasure of getting involved in GenerationOne and Brother to Brother. GenerationOne brings together students, faculty and staff who are the first in their families to attend college in order to help foster a greater sense of belonging. Brother to Brother is a group whose mission is to support minority men in higher education. It has created a real sense of brotherhood that sometimes goes missing from the minority male experience at college.

How do you like your professors at FSU?

I’m so thankful for everything my professors have done for me here. When I walked into the Chemistry Department as a freshman, Dr. Sarah Pilkenton personally took me around to the offices of the other professors and introduced me to them. That interaction was enough for me to know that they were going to support me and were the type of people who really cared about students. Just recently, one of my professors reached out to a colleague inquiring about a possible internship for me. I didn’t ask for that, but that’s how it is here. When I go home and talk to my friends who are at some bigger schools, they don’t know their professors. They’ve never had lunch with them or met with them one on one. I feel really lucky because I don’t know if I would be where I am today without that support.

What are your plans for the future?

My goal is to become a physician. As a child, I was very sick and in the hospital all the time. I didn’t get to go to school until I was seven. From that experience, I gained a passion for school and for knowledge. The other big influence has been my mother. My entire life, she has always been such a resource for others, and she has passed that desire on to me. All of the hours I spend studying in the library and working as hard as I can to get the most out of college are driven by my goal to become a doctor, and I hope that I’m able to realize that dream.