A healthy lifestyle is more than a way of thinking, and for student Andre Mendoza, it is his way of life. As a junior studying athletic training, Mendoza relishes in his ability to incorporate his passion and area of study into the everyday life of not only himself, but others’ as well.

Mendoza wants to use the education he is gaining at Kean University to benefit others. “I would like to be a head athletic trainer in a high school setting,” commented Mendoza. He chose high school as his future place of work because he recognizes the strain athletes put on their bodies at that point in their lives. “I aspire for this position because I see so many possibilities in helping youth athletes,” Mendoza elaborated.

A believed essential of college is being involved on campus through clubs and organizations. As a commuter, Mendoza has adopted this belief and in an effort to become involved, he is currently the president of Kean L.I.F.T. Club and a member of the Athletic Training Club (ATC). Both clubs offer Mendoza a median to release his passion in different ways. The shared goal of L.I.F.T. and its members is to educate the people of the Kean community on healthy lifestyle techniques. ATC, on the other hand, means more to Mendoza than simply leading a healthy life.

To some, the reason of Mendoza’s involvement in ATC may be obvious due to his major, but he shared his reasoning for joining ATC. “I became a member [of ATC] to do my part in raising funds and organizing activities for the benefit of the other students in the AT [athletic training] program here at Kean [University],” said Mendoza. He is gaining experience of leadership and how to promote a healthy lifestyle in his role of both clubs, which will be of benefit to him later on in his career as a high school athletic trainer.

The passion Mendoza possesses for healthy living is evident by his daily activities and his involvement on campus. “I am very into the idea of improv[ing] my life and the lives of other by promoting health and overall fitness,” explained Mendoza.

Although his time is limited due to a majority of the hours in a week being dedicated to clinical rotations, a requirement of his major, he makes time his hobby: his health. Looking to physically improve himself, he has “adopted the CrossFit mentality of becoming an overall physically fit human being through different forms of exercise.” His lack of free time does not stop him from offering his services to the community, which he enjoys to do. “I would [like] the individuals of Kean [University] to know that I am here for anyone. I love helping people anyway I can,” Mendoza stated.

In life, people will have varying preferences for how they wish to live their lives. Lifestyles derive from a person’s passions and those passions can be seen in their doings on a daily basis. For Mendoza, his primary passions of fitness and wellness make up his lifestyle, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.