Randy Convery is a student at Kean University who does not wait for things to happen; he makes them happen.
Convery, a graduate student majoring in school counseling, is a member of the Lambda Upsilon Lambda (LUL) fraternity and the Vice President of the Gamma Eta Graduate Professional Chapter.
As vice president, he oversees the operations of each chapter committee, in a sense collaborating with them.
"Ever since [LUL] came to [Kean University,] our e-board has been very involved," Convery said.
He connected with LUL through his family members. As an undergraduate student, a lot of his close friends crossed into LUL. Convery became curious about the Greek organization and learned what they were about.
"They were an organization that was more than just my friends. They were an organization that had a vision and mission parallel with my values and morals," said Convery. "It wasn't until grad school that I saw the opportunity to apply for the graduate chapter. Honestly, it's been one of the best journeys and organizations I've been part of."
Besides working with LUL, Convery was elected to the Perth Amboy Board of Education. He also works with the Perth Amboy Business Improvement District.
"I got where I am now, working in City Hall and running for the Board of Education, by picking up trash," he told. "I was asked to work in a summer employment program picking up trash around the city. It all started with a picker and a trash bag. One thing led to another, and doors started opening up. Some closed, but I always maintained a good connection with the people I met along the way."
He advises others to take a lot of of opportunities, even though they may not be in line with what is wanted at the time. He believes that can open up a lot of doors.
He never thought he would be elected, but has been involved politically for the past four years. Convery helped the current mayor with her campaign by making phone calls and passing out flyers, increasing his involvement in the city. He was presented with the opportunity and felt what better way than to serve the community and bring all those ideas to life.
"We're the face of the community. In all honestly, I thought I was going to lose," Convery said, "I have no political background. I just went in with the expectation I was just going to meet a lot of people. Never burn your bridges because you never know when you could use it as a resource. I try to diversify myself in a lot of different communities and a lot of different programs, as well as meet a lot of different people who can lead me to where I want to be--not only myself but the minority community at large."
By being part of the Perth Amboy Board of Education, Convery knows the school system and knows how to make change.
"I get to know more about the background and the demographic [of] Perth Amboy," Convery said. "I get to serve [the] community at large because knowledge is power. This opportunity makes it better for me to help make change and get [more] leadership qualities out there."
Convery expects to earn his graduate degree in May 2017.
Besides graduating, his other main focus is expanding LUL at the Kean University campus in Union, New Jersey and establishing a good chapter here.
"[Kean University] has a really diverse and engaged community, and we'd love to be part of it," Convery mentioned. "That's what I love about Kean University. There's so many people and there's a large variety of people. You can bump into one person one day and then the next day, you might not see them again but you'll bump into thousands of other people."
Convery came from a small town, so the type of "homey" feel is what he admires about the campus.
"I'd pick Kean [University] over any other university. You don't get lost and you won't be running around frantically," he said. "Also, professors have been great."
As an undergraduate student, Convery initially started out as an athletic training major. He switched to recreational administration during his sophomore year because he was working with the city of Perth Amboy and its recreational department.
"I'm a first generation Dominican. My mom said since day one, 'You can be anybody who you want to be in this country with education.' My brother and I took that to heart and, even though she didn't have the best education, we put that as a goal to graduate college and pursue higher education," he shared. "That's why I want to be a school counselor, so I can pass down those lessons and feed it [to] future generations."
After graduate school, he plans to be a school counselor at Perth Amboy High School.
"I don't want to settle on one profession. I may come back to Kean [University] and get my Licensed Professional Counselor [certification] because I'm looking into the field of juvenile corrections counseling."
For success, he advises students to get engaged at Kean University.
"Try to make time out to get to know yourself and also get to know what's going to propel you and what you're passionate about. That's what drove me to where I am today," said Convery. "Ask yourself: What is it that you like? You may want to go to the highest paying job, but not be happy. For me, I'd rather take a pay cut and go work at a place where I love. Pursue your passion, be true to yourself. College is an amazing opportunity to branch out and meet people from all walks of life."
