Dontae Crowder Joins JJC Board as New Student Trustee

The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees welcomed Dontae Crowder as the newest student trustee during its May 13 meeting. Crowder replaces current Student Trustee Shalma Marin. JJC selects a new student representative each year.

“I was recommended to campaign for the position by my former professor,” Crowder said. “When she told me I get to help the school in a big way and represent the students I was super excited to do it.”

Crowder, 21, is majoring in psychology. A Joliet resident, he chose to attend JJC because of its affordable costs and proximity to home.

“My JJC experience has been very good so far,” he said. “It’s great to be able to pursue higher education while still being in touch with my immediate community.”

Crowder is a member of JJC Student Government, and president of JJC’s Brother 2 Brother chapter. The organization primarily supports young Black men and men of color in graduating from high school and college, and acts as a safe space for students to learn about a wide range of topics. Recently, chapter members participated in a Prison Pen Pal program.

“We had a special guest speaker come in and enlighten the chapter to the unique oppression that people who are incarcerated face, and offer B2B members the opportunity to write to them in an effort to show solidarity,” Crowder said.

Among Crowder’s objectives as student trustee will be exploring ways to assist students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. After JJC, Crowder plans to transfer to the University of Illinois at Chicago, and ultimately wants to obtain a master’s in psychology.

“I want to become a psychotherapist for teens and young adults. I hope to be able to provide therapy for those in underserved communities,” he said.

JJC is governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees, all of whom are elected from within the seven-county college district for at-large, staggered, six-year terms. A student representative, appointed annually, is a non-voting member of the board. Current Board of Trustees members include Chairman Bob Wunderlich, Vice Chairwoman Maureen Broderick, Secretary John (Jake) Mahalik, Nancy Garcia-Guillen, Alicia Morales, Dan O’Connell, Betty Washington, and Student Trustee Dontae Crowder.

More information about the JJC Board of Trustees, including scheduled meeting dates and agendas, is available on the BOT web page.

For media inquiries, contact Communications and Media Coordinator Scott Harvey at 815-280-2844 or sharvey@jjc.edu.