“We’re not as bold to experiment when grades are on the line, but in student organizations you have nothing to lose when you speak up and let your voice be heard.”
David LeClair ’11 lived by his word. President of PRIDE (People Respecting Individuality and Diversity) and the Green Society. Chair of the Bentley Student Diversity Council. A trustee scholar and Honors Program student. He majored in Management and Liberal Studies, with a concentration in Earth, Environment and Global Sustainability.
The Bentley community mourned in 2013, when David was killed in an accident during a bike tour to benefit the American Lung Association.
But his acts of positive change live on.
David’s family — pictured from center, mother Nina ’83, father Ron ’82 and sister Olivia ’14 — walk with Bentley in the annual Boston Pride Parade. The student organizations that he championed are thriving. And in 2017, family and friends established the David LeClair Memorial Fund to carry forth his values. The latest initiative was a three-day campus residency by Peterson Toscano, whose comedy explores gender, sexuality, privilege, religion and environmental justice.
Watch a clip of Toscano’s performance.
“Climate change is such an important issue; the same with diversity and acceptance of others,” says Nina. “In hearing from Peterson, we hope Bentley students are inspired to bring about changes for the positive, whether big or small.”