The adjustment from high school to college can be daunting and sometimes overwhelming for many students. For Justin Antonio, it was a life-changing experience that he needed.
Antonio was first featured in The Cougar's Byte during Freshmen Move In Day, when he was first moving into the Freshmen Residence Hall. With his bags and guitar case in hand, he was eager to start a new journey and chapter of his life.
"I want to do my best to help the community and grow myself as a person," said Antonio on Sept. 1, 2019.
It is safe to say that Antonio has been very successful in those goals, he now holds the position as President of the Freshmen Residence Hall Hall Council.
Antonio's involvement with the Freshmen Residence Hall Hall Council happened mostly by chance, as he was simply approached by one of his resident assistants (RA).
"One of my RAs asked if I was interested, and at first [I] didn't know if I could handle the responsibility, but it has become very manageable and beneficial to growing my responsibilities," Antonio said.
As president of the Freshman Residence Hall, he oversees the building and the Hall Council of the building. He makes sure the facilities of the building are all running smoothly, and he plans events and programming to keep the building exciting and lively.
"I plan on hosting a talent show at the Freshman Residence Hall. My overall goal is for the building to be more fun, and I hear people complain about that and I really want to change that," said Antonio.
As a business management major with a minor in psychology, Antonio is able to grow himself as a professional by holding prestigious positions like his presidency so early in his Kean career.
"I combined a psychology minor with my business management major because they go hand in hand. As a business management major, you will be working with and managing a group of people, and with psychology I will have a better understanding of how they think," said Antonio.
Speaking on the transition from high school to college, Antonio was very happy to make the adjustment, as he much prefers the college lifestyle over that of high school.
"I love my experience at Kean so far. I am trying to get a few of my friends to apply here. Personally, I am an introvert, but seeing the culture here is nice...I spend a lot of time in the library and in the community," Antonio said.
He continued on the deep nature of personal relationships with other college students, "People are more open here and less insecure, friendships are more healthy and events are always happening, and people are so nice."
Even though he considers himself introverted, he feels connected to the university by surrounding himself with the culture and community of Kean. Being here has brought him out of his shell, and he is looking to find a good balance of introversion and extroversion.
As for what is next in his college career, Antonio is looking forward to getting more involved in his classes, and taking courses in his major. He wants to maintain a great GPA and see where his involvement can take him.
