Walter Bachelder become personally involved in the battle against the AIDS epidemic after the loss of a close friend to AIDS in 1991. He began volunteering at the AIDS Action Committee of Boston and became active in advocating for increased funding for AIDS research , housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS, and AIDS education and prevention programs.
However, with a GED, he hit professional roadblocks in his work. After more than 25 years away from the classroom, Mr. Bachelder began attending MassBay Community College in 2008 to take on a new challenge: earning a college degree. At MassBay, he also learned of his second passion - education. As a student, through the support of MassBay faculty Maxine Elmont, he became a champion and voice for non-traditional students and served in a leadership role as President of the Human Services Club.
Currently, Mr. Bachelder is the Medical Case Manager for New Beginnings Independent Housing for the South Middlesex Opportunity Council in Framingham, supporting single adults living with HIV/AIDS. He also serves on the Education Advisory Board of Bethany Hill Place, an organization that serves individuals and families affected by homelessness, addict ion, violence and loss. He also serves as Chair of the MetroWest AIDS Consortium.
He earned his Associate of Arts degree in Human Services from MassBay Community College in 2012 and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Regis College in 2015.
In 2016, Mr. Bachelder was the inaugural recipient of the Maxine Elmont Award for Outstanding Alumnus of a Career Associate Program from the National Association of Developmental Education, named after his advisor, mentor, and current MassBay faculty.