MassBay National Society of Leadership and Success Awarded Outstanding New Chapter at National Conference

p>MassBay Community College NSLS Chapter members (left to right) Pranshu Shah, William Piper, and Raymond Espinosa pose with the NSLS Outstanding New Chapter Award on the Wellesley Hills campus, Wellesley Hills, MA, December 2025 (Photo/MassBay Community College).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (December 11, 2025) — Just last year, MassBay Community College launched a chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) for students who demonstrate high academic achievement and leadership potential. From among the 51 new chapters launched this year, MassBay was recently honored at the NSLS national conference with the NSLS Outstanding New Chapter Award. According to NSLS, MassBay has displayed strong collaboration within the organization, supported student members, and shown exemplary leadership, setting the standard for other chapters to follow.

The NSLS is the largest accredited leadership honor society in the United States, with more than 800 chapters and more than 2 million members nationwide. Serving both 4-year universities and 2-year colleges, NSLS provides a structured leadership development program designed to help students grow personally and professionally by offering mentorship, networking opportunities, scholarships, digital credentials, career development tools, and celebrity speaker events.

MassBay’s NSLS chapter is led by Chief Information Officer Michael Lyons, who serves as the chapter advisor; MassBay cybersecurity student and Center for Cyber Security Education project assistant William Piper, who serves as NSLS chapter president; and MassBay general studies student and NSLS chapter vice president Raymond Jason Espinosa. Founded on Feb. 13, 2025, the chapter currently has 268 student members.

“Building this chapter from the group up has been an incredible journey,” said William Piper, a Winchendon resident. “I have had the privilege of working alongside some truly amazing popele, and it’s because of their dedication that we achieved this milestone. We’re excited to see what the future holds for our chapter.”

“Each individual navigates an internal struggle, and it is through our responses to adversity that we cultivate resilience and develop the capacity to lead,” said Espinosa an East Sandwich, MA resident. “The NSLS program provides a structured framework for transforming these challenges into opportunities for growth, enabling us to become role models who inspire others to pursue their own aspirations.”

NSLS aims to build leaders who make a positive impact in their communities and the world. Its mission centers on personal growth, leadership training, and supporting students as they work toward their goals. Members are invited to join based on academic achievement or leadership potential.

The NSLS leadership program includes an orientation session, a leadership training day, speaker broadcasts featuring notable leaders and celebrities, success networking teams for peer support and accountability, and completion of the induction process with a leadership certificate. Member benefits include scholarships, letters of recommendation, access to an exclusive database of jobs and internships, networking events and mentorship opportunities, and digital badges and leadership credentials.

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston and is free to most Massachusetts residents without a bachelor’s degree. With more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, along with comprehensive workforce and educational training, MassBay provides a wide range of courses with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Wellesley, Framingham, the Automotive Technology Center in Ashland, and online, in high-demand fields including health and life sciences, computer science, engineering, cybersecurity, business, and the humanities. MassBay students receive unparalleled value, with free one-on-one academic and social support services, compassionate and experienced faculty, and stackable credits that easily transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and that provide hands-on, workforce-ready skills. Health sciences, human services, early childhood education, and many general education programs are offered at the 65,000 square foot, state-of-the-art MassBay Framingham, which has served the community since January 2024. Founded in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by multiple governing bodies and remains dedicated to serving its diverse communities, fostering inclusiveness, and advancing equity for all.