At the University of Connecticut, the epicenter of stress for thousands of students, faculty, and staff is not an exam or deadline — it’s parking.

For a university already grappling with state funding cuts, federal grant rescissions, and the dismantling of DEI efforts, the price of parking has become a university-wide symbol of inequity and frustration…

Stonington — As a student at the University of Connecticut, Zachary Boudah found a talent for leadership as well as a passion for social issues, advocacy and volunteerism that he is now using to serve his community.

This summer, the 21-year-old University of Connecticut student was appointed to the town’s first Ethics Commission, and in August he was elected its chairperson, but that was not his first foray into the inner workings of governments.

Three weeks into his freshman year at the university’s regional Avery Point campus, the Stonington resident ran for student body vice president and won.

At the end of his freshman year, he ran for president and served two years in that role…

Over 14 months, Boudah managed to get four university bylaws and one university senate bylaw changed to give a voice to the thousands of students at four regional campuses that were not being represented in decisions impacting them.

“I changed the fundamental policies of UConn, so that’s something I’m super proud of,” he said…

… “The thing I always tell people I want to do is help people in some way, shape or form,” he said, noting that helping others is what drives him.

“Something about that human-to-human interaction is just so rewarding,” he said…

… “This commission just reminded me about humanity and how much it matters just living down the road from someone, that they care about you just because you share a zip code, so I definitely love my town a lot more,” he said.

Not only does Boudah find the work important and fulfilling, but he hopes it may sway others into civic service.

“I think a lot of people don’t trust politics in general, especially people my age, because people view it as this taboo, or it’s an adults-only thing,” he said. “To me, if someone can say, ‘Oh, there’s a 21-year-old doing it, that means I can do it too,’ that’s a win in my book,” he added.

STONINGTON — The changing of the guard is official in Stonington.

After an overwhelming showing in elections on Nov. 4, the newly-elected Democrats in town were sworn into office during a brief ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. 

A crowd of supporters, colleagues and family gathered on the first floor of Town Hall, where Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz administered the oath to new First Selectman Bill Middleton, Selectman Deborah Norman, and members of the boards of Education and Finance, as well as town constables and longtime treasurer Sandy Grimes…

“I think that when you talk to voters face to face, the number of times you hear from them is ‘I appreciate the effort,’” said Boudah, who considers door knocking critical in connecting with voters. “That matters. That’s important. They tell you that, but then they’ll also do things I’ve noticed, like they’ll be like, ‘This is a regional issue for my neighborhood. This is where a crosswalk should be.’ And you hear that and that sticks with you.”

Zachary Boudah, a Democrat, was appointed in August to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education. At 20 years old, he was elected chairman of Stonington’s Ethics Commission. Boudah is pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs.

“I am eager to monitor and fine-tune our incredible new career cluster pathways for students. The workforce is ever-evolving, and it’s increasingly clear that college should not be the default option for our students,” he said. Boudah also wants to create a district-wide artificial intelligence policy and is concerned about the state of the middle school.

“Legal and compliance issues are delaying the installation of the portable classrooms, and the learning environment is not showing substantial improvement,” he said. “I can’t wait for the K-12 Building Committee to be seated so we can start a community-wide listening effort to inform next steps.”

Groton — When Zachary Boudah, a recent graduate of the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, gave campus tours or met with admitted students and their parents, he said they always asked about where students live.

It's the big question in deciding whether or not Avery Point is for them, he said.

Boudah said housing is needed for the campus to be successful, given the hurdles facing the university, such as a decreasing number of potential students in the and rising competition from other state schools that makes it challenging to maintain or grow enrollment

"I think that without having some form of subsidized off-campus or straight up on-campus housing, it's going to be extremely challenging for the campus to remain as vigorous as it has been in the past," he said…

Boudah is continuing to advocate for the Avery Point campus.

He said Avery Point is unique and offers small class sizes, dedicated staff, and opportunities to forge lifelong relationships with people from different backgrounds and study climate through marine sciences and maritime studies…

Boudah said the campus functions as an anchor for success and is affordable for students like himself who commuted. Students around the globe would love to study at Avery Point but are being priced out due to market factors, he said, adding that most students can barely afford tuition, let alone $2,000 a month for an apartment.

Boudah said the university's strategic plan refers to regional campuses as bastions of access that provide opportunities for students who traditionally don't find their way into higher education settings.

"For those students, to really be lifted up, it requires an affordable price tag," he said.

The First-Generation Favors Leadership Dinner was an interactive event held at UConn-Avery Point that brought together over thirty first-generation students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Designed to enhance support for first-generation students, the event featured a three-course meal, guided networking sessions, and hands-on activities aimed at fostering leadership development, financial literacy, and public speaking. Through personalized engagement and collaborative exercises, the dinner empowered participants to strengthen their confidence, build meaningful connections, and better prepare for academic and professional success. The program was complemented by a pre-event workshop and information session on proper dinner etiquette, where attendees were welcomed with breakfast pastries. 

Zachary received the Donald L. McCullough Leadership Award in 2025. The Donald L. McCullough is UConn’s highest student leadership award and is awarded to student(s) who have made significant contributions to the University community through leadership of, and/or involvement in an initiative(s) that has had University-wide impact and is representative of the highest level of student leadership and involvement.

Zachary Boudah, student body president and a sophomore, said he has struggled with food insecurity in the past and has seen his parents struggle to put food on the table and have to make sacrifices. Boudah now sees students, faculty and staff facing the same situation.

Boudah said people are skipping meals, and at times, he’s bought meals for peers, and they’ve bought meals for him.

Boudah said it’s difficult to study when hungry. He’s trying to combat the stigma of food insecurity by raising awareness of the new food pantry and encouraging undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty to stop by to pick up food items for a meal or a few meals.

“It’s important to me that everyone has a safe place to go where they know that they’re going to be welcomed, where they know that they’re going to walk out of here with whatever it is that’s going to get them through the day,” Boudah said.

He said everyone is always looking to save money. People at the commuter campus are driving there, paying for parking and gas, tuition, fees, books and other bills….

“We’re here to remind Governor Lamont and the General Assembly that without adequate funding for academics, this state can not prosper,” Zachary Boudah, student body president of UConn’s Avery Point campus, said. 

A third UConn student, Zachary Boudah of Stonington, tempers optimism about solutions to the climate crisis with doses of reality ― such as staying aware of how disadvantaged communities are already being severely impacted, and the responsibility of wealthier nations to make major changes in resource-intensive lifestyles.

“I don’t want to drown in the glass half full,” said Boudah, a sophomore who is student body president at the Avery Point campus in Groton and works part time at Mystic Aquarium. With a double major and English and political science, he hopes for a career in the non-profit sector working on environmental policy.

“Hope can come out of grief,” he said. “I’m hopeful we will figure this out.”