Garrett Weigel, of Orland Hills, was sworn in as Moraine Valley Community College’s 2025-2026 student trustee at a special Board of Trustees meeting in April.
Weigel, an alumnus of Victor J. Andrew High School, began his studies at the college in January 2024 and plans to graduate with his Associate of Arts degree in spring 2026. Concurrently, he is pursuing his Bachelor of Science in management information systems online through the University of Illinois Springfield.
After graduating from high school, Weigel took some time away from his studies to explore his interests, travel to Europe and consider which career path he wanted to pursue. He chose to study at Moraine Valley due to its proximity to his home, affordability and wide variety of student activities.
Weigel is part of the federal work-study program in the college’s Financial Aid Office and assists students and their parents in completing their FAFSA forms. “I think that opened my eyes to the amount of help many students need with financial aid,” he shared. “I think that also really motivated me to want to do more for the community, and then I was presented with the opportunity to run [for Student Trustee], and I just decided to take it.”
Tasha Campbell, director of Financial Aid at the college, approached Weigel about campaigning to be student trustee, “I encouraged Garrett to run for student trustee because he has the insight, maturity and leadership potential to effectively represent his peers’ voices. His ability to think critically, communicate clearly and act with integrity made him an ideal candidate for this important position.”
Weigel looks forward to being a liaison to the board on behalf of the student body and bringing student concerns to board meetings. One initiative Weigel is passionate about is ensuring the college embraces students from all backgrounds. “Students, as well as parents, have so many different backgrounds and speak so many different languages. I think Moraine Valley is what brings us together and what makes us that community,” he shared. He hopes to be remembered as a student trustee who makes progress on behalf of the student body.
Over the next year, Weigel is eager to advocate for students, attend events, become more knowledgeable about government affairs and hone his speech and communication skills. During the summer, Weigel will complete an internship in Berlin, Germany. His career interests span a variety of disciplines, from database management to social media to events management and government affairs.
“My message to students would be to work your very hardest and not give up,” he shared. “I’m more than thrilled to have been selected as student trustee, and I really hope to make an impact.”
