Aiden Betit Receives National Association for Campus Activities Northeast Award

Aiden Betit ’25 is a junior at Westfield State University and majors in history and secondary education. He is also the team lead for the Campus Activities Board, which is part of the Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership (SAIL) office on campus. Recently, Betit received the Ken M. Bedini Student Leadership Award for his efforts and contributions of undergraduate student leaders who make a difference on campus. This award comes from the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA), with only five student leaders from the Northeast receiving it.

“I work with a team as part of the Campus Activities Board, and this year I think we have one of the most passionate, interested, and hardworking team,” Betit said. “I think receiving this award reflects all of the work and passion they have, and I want to give a shout out because there’s no way I’d be receiving it without everything they’ve done.”

Besides Betit, the CAB team consists of Matt Dellea, Director of SAIL; Ashley Ewick, Coordinator of Student Activities; Nicholas Smith, Assistant Team Lead; Kilie Bazinet, appointed to Advocacy, Inclusion, and Resources; Jules Cullinane, appointed to Marketing and Promotions; Austin Morgan, appointed to Finance and Budget; Daphne Veitch, appointed to Engagement, Outreach, and Membership; and Kaolin Westcott, appointed to Computer Programming.

Campus activities are promoted in a variety of ways, though they are also posted on the Presence application. Promoting events this way is helpful due to the attendance tracking feature, which can help those on the executive board decide which events to plan. Students are highly encouraged to utilize the Nestwork, as events and activities posted on forums such as Presence can lead to new hobbies and build communities.

“We want Westfield State to be a community of people who are involved,” he said about his experience with the CAB team. “We like seeing people. We’re trying to reinforce this campus culture of going to events and getting outside. There’s even a clear desire to be part of our campus activities from the people on our executive board.”

Originally from Dalton, Betit described the University as his “home” and hopes that students on campus continue to take part in community events. “I’ve loved it here,” he said. “I’ve made a home here. I really enjoy the community I’m a part of and the friends I’ve made. I also really like my professors. The history department is my own little part of Westfield that I’ve carved out for myself.”

After graduating, Betit plans to become a high school teacher. Next semester, he will complete his pre-practicum, where he will observe and teach middle school students.