SPIFFY is what student initiative looks like at its best: collaborative, compassionate, and community driven. But it also highlights how vulnerable grassroots projects can be when institutions fail to listen. Despite gaining momentum and meeting a clear need, the project faced unclear communication, limited support, and inconsistent oversight. Without collaboration and continuity, even the strongest efforts can stall.
The story of SPIFFY is one of students creating a space rooted in dignity, care, and community, built by those who invested their time, energy, and even paychecks into it. Whether through providing clothing or simply making others feel seen, SPIFFY became a vital source of support. Its success was not by chance; it was the result of collective student effort.
It is also about a professor who stood by his students’ vision from the start and helped bring the project to life. That same professor has since stepped down and recently announced his early retirement, a decision that marks the end of a chapter for the students who worked alongside him and for the version of SPIFFY they helped build. Sustaining SPIFFY’s impact will require not just operational continuity, but a commitment to the values and experience of those who helped it grow.
If the goal is to scale, where is the expansion? If it is about structure, where is the support? Montgomery College (MC) has an opportunity to recommit to the values that made SPIFFY thrive by centering the voices of those who built it. When students are empowered and trusted to lead, they create more than just resources—they create a community. But that community needs sustained institutional support, not just in terms of funding and resources but also in the form of mentorship and advocacy. Without this support, initiatives like SPIFFY can lose their direction and purpose.
As the fall semester approaches, the future of SPIFFY remains uncertain. For the initiative to thrive, MC must do more than preserve its name, it must actively support the people who made it work. That includes not just student leaders, but the faculty who stood beside them. When those voices are sidelined, the integrity of the project is at risk. Supporting SPIFFY means nurturing the community behind it, not just managing its operations.
The student leaders who have poured their time and energy into SPIFFY cannot be left to navigate its future without the necessary guidance. Their commitment and passion have been vital to the project’s success, and it is essential that they continue to be supported. Equally, the mentorship provided by faculty is crucial. For SPIFFY, and other student-led initiatives to endure, the college must offer more than administrative backing. It must create an environment where both student leadership and faculty mentorship can continue to thrive. Only then will SPIFFY remain a true reflection of the values it was founded upon.
I offer my deepest thanks and best wishes to Professor Sember, whose early retirement marks the departure of a dedicated advocate for student-led initiatives. His influence has been immeasurable, and his absence will be felt deeply, not just by the students who worked with him, but by the entire SPIFFY community that he helped foster.
SPIFFY Student Volunteers:
Debby Safra, Kelly Rosales, Francesca Leonard, Linu Parajuli, Alex Alexiev, Santina Cannetti, Alexa Ruiz, Marianne Villaizan Sanchez, Emilie Davis, Febe Rosales, Star, Aki Kodithuwakku, Isari Kodithuwakku, Colin Hill, Jackelyn Florez, Sharon Perera, William Hinkeldey, Melvin Ascenio, Cindy Le, Akhyan Tamang, Mateo Nikitin.
Additional SPIFFY Contributors: Huong Nguyen (TRIO Director), Libby McClayton, MCServes, Student and Faculty who donated, Governance Councils, Staff Council, Operational Services Council, Workforce Development Council , MCVotes, Megan Cooperman, Eric Benjamin (former Rockville Provost), Gloria Barron (ELITE) and everyone in the MC community who supported and believed in SPIFFY.
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