Marc Artuz '24:在校园培养投入的心态

马克·阿图兹(Marc Artuz)今年24岁，是一名大四学生 心理学 和 人类服务 是mg冰球突破豪华版下载校园里熟悉的面孔. 他是EC男子篮球队的队长, president of the Intercultural Student-Athlete Alliance (ISAA) club 和 member of several clubs, 完成了“翱翔更高领导力”课程, 在 mg冰球突破豪华版下载社区改造中心他在网上推销一种产品 607飙升的南方创业大学竞赛, organized a poetry slam, 和 is a “tour guide” in EC’s latest 虚拟游览视频. But Artuz didn’t start his EC journey engaged in the EC community.

阿图兹说:“第一年我就独来独往. “我想我不明白我有声音, 我不明白我能对别人产生什么影响.”

阿图兹说，他的自我隔离部分是由于疫情, 从他高中最后一年开始. COVID restrictions meant he missed out on some big milestones, like prom 和 graduation ceremonies. 新冠肺炎限制也抑制了欧盟的活动.

然而，在他的第二年，情况发生了变化. Artuz, whose family comes from New York City 和 Puerto Rico, was invited to participate in 融合艺术集体, 一个免费的, 10周黑, 土著, People of Color (BIPOC) arts education opportunity involving photography 和 glass fusion. 该项目由 mg冰球突破豪华版下载社区艺术, centered on themes of connection, community, cityscape, 和 identity.

“我创作了关于社区的玻璃艺术. 我在格罗夫公园做了一件作品，那里很美. 但是那里一个人也没有. 我想知道，差距在哪里? It was from this thinking that I came to realize there’s more I can do than sit in my room.”

记住这一点, 随着COVID限制开始减弱, Artuz began taking advantage of opportunities as they came to him. 当汉娜·惠蒂尔23岁时 儿童教育 主要, invited members of the EC Men’s Basketball team to participate in a dance program at the Transformation Center, 阿图兹报名了.

“We went 和 helped the kids the best we could,” he said about the volunteer experience.

当拉里·帕克, 多元化总监, 股本, 和包容(DEI)/第九条协调员, 成立了ISAA俱乐部, 凯西麦格劳, 男篮总教练, 推荐阿图兹领导俱乐部.

“Marc is a responsible young man who is passionate beyond belief 和 was blessed with an incredibly creative mind, making him the perfect c和idate to be the first president of the ISAA,麦格劳说. “He has a special gift of bringing people together 和 building a sense of community, 所以我知道我们得到了很好的照顾.”

Artuz quickly began by reaching out to other club presidents 和 members. He started finding ways to integrate student-athletes into campus events, 尤其是不同的文化事件和经历.

这些最初的经历产生了滚雪球效应, 和 Artuz went from passively getting involved to actively seeking opportunities to participate in clubs 和 events.

For example, Artuz was inspired when he discovered a poetry slam during an away trip for basketball. He was looking for a place to eat but found this exciting experience where poets were open 和 accepting. 他决定在校园里举办一个类似的活动.

“I wanted to create an environment that was safe 和 free of judgment,” he said. “我和黑人学生会合作过, 活跃的思想, 和 ISAA clubs so that those club members could have a chance to share their messages about mental health 和 what it’s like to be Black, 拉美裔, 以及校园里的其他文化.”

“就像我做过的其他事情一样, 我这么做不是因为我自己, 而是因为我在做一些有帮助的事情. 我这么做是为了别人.”

重要的是, being engaged 和 active has never come at the expense of Artuz’s grades or his own well-being.

“学业一直是我的首要任务. Being a student-athlete taught me how to h和le responsibility 和 my courses have taught me to take care of myself first before trying to help others. 和, 毫无疑问, the encouragement of my family back at home kept me focused 和 motivated to do more,他分享道, adding that his mother makes sure he gets the grades she knows he can earn.

展望未来, Artuz is grateful for the support he’s had 和 the growth opportunities he’s found at EC. 他的下一步计划包括读研, 成为有执照的心理学家, 并开设了自己的诊所. He is excited to explore mental health practices in different cultures 和 apply what he learns as he helps his clients heal 和 thrive.

“Everything I have done here, good 和 bad, has shaped me into the person I am,” he said. “When I look back to see the person I am now, I’m in a better place than where I was. 我对此很满意.”

For current 和 future students, Artuz advises them to “be courageous in exploring who you can be. 对朋友敞开心扉. 机会. 面对新的想法. Take the time to find out what you want to be in life 和 who you want to be 和 work at that. 是你.”