TJC Student Senate President Patrick Smallwood was recently named the 2018 Student Leader of the Year for Region 3 of Texas Junior College Student Government Association (TJCSGA).
The award was presented earlier this month at the TJCSGA conference held at North Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant. Smallwood will now represent TJC and Region 3 at the TJCSGA state convention in April.
Region 3 includes 13 community and junior colleges in the Northeast Texas area. Peers of the nominees submit an essay about their candidate, and the winner is selected by an awards committee.
Smallwood, a political science major from Tyler, will receive his associate degree in general studies from TJC in May, and plans to transfer to a four-year university to complete his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Smallwood is a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Apache Chiefs (student leadership organization) and has been named to the president’s and dean’s lists. In addition, he serves as president of TJCSGA Region 3.
In 2017, Smallwood participated in a six-week internship in the office of U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert in Washington, D.C. He was the lone student from a two-year college to be chosen for an internship.
After receiving his master’s degree, Smallwood hopes to earn a White House Fellowship. His goal is to become the youngest sitting U.S. congressional representative and eventually run for president.