Meet Mike Bodnarik: Trinity’s New Director of Greek Life and Student Leadership

Lily Mellitz ’26

Executive Features Editor

This fall, Trinity College welcomes Mike Bodnarik as the new Director of Student Leadership, Engagement and Greek Life, bringing with him over two decades of experience in higher education. Bodnarik’s career roles include Director of Student Involvement and Events at Williams College and Assistant Director of Campus Activities at Vassar College, institutions that share Trinity’s focus on student development within a liberal arts setting. Now, as he embarks on his journey at Trinity, he is eager to apply his experiences to foster a thriving, collaborative student community.

Hailing from Warner, N.H., Bodnarik now calls Hartford, Conn. his home, residing locally on Trinity’s campus. When asked about what drew him to this position, he expressed that he “chose Trinity College because it was an exciting opportunity to work at a liberal arts college with a dynamic team of professionals who are truly committed to the development and support of students.” 

“I have found my experience to be tremendously rewarding so far and have enjoyed my interactions with the faculty, staff and students,” Bodnarik said. “I have been able to see that people truly care and are invested in Trinity College.”

In his new role, Bodnarik is responsible for overseeing Greek Life, student leadership initiatives and broader student engagement programs. 

“I am most excited to be working with and supporting students as they seek to achieve their goals through their involvement” he said. One of Bodnarik’s priorities is building a team within his department that will further support the student experience. “I currently have two professional staff positions open and hope to have a full team of four in the office by January.”

Bodnarik’s extensive history in higher education is something he believes will help him navigate his new responsibilities. Reflecting on these experiences, he said, “I think those two experiences in the liberal arts setting will help me initially. However, I will still draw from all my other experiences [at Williams and Vassar] as well to inform my work.”

While Bodnarik is eager to bring new ideas to Trinity’s Greek Life and student organizations, he recognizes the importance of first learning about the campus community and engaging with its members. 

“My hope is that we can build a values-based community that is collaborative in nature and supports the growth and development of each person,” he explained. “[However], making it actionable will take time. The process to get there must be collaborative where my team and I are truly listening and enlisting support from all stakeholders. I really want to make sure that we are partnering with students.”

Though he does not yet have any specific new initiatives, Bodnarik is particularly excited about getting students involved in The Dialogue Project, an ongoing campus-wide initiative aimed at promoting meaningful conversation and engagement across the Trinity community. 

“I think it is [a] really important opportunity that we all should be involved in,” Bodnarik said.

As he settles into his role, Bodnarik is approaching his responsibilities with optimism and a forward-thinking mindset. When asked about potential challenges in managing Greek Life and student leadership initiatives, he sees them more as opportunities to learn and grow rather than obstacles. 

“I am seeing opportunities to ask good questions, grow through potential challenges and to create a framework from what I learn this year to build a foundation for the future,” he noted. “I plan to meet these moments by being open, honest and owning both our successes and our failures. I think we will learn a lot this year and will do our best to learn from and support students.” 

Bodnarik’s final message to the Trinity community reflects his commitment to being an active and engaged leader: “I am here, I am present and I care.”