Matthew Mestre

I feel very lucky to have close connections in my life. From childhood, I was more reserved and sheltered but thankfully my friends were able to break me out of my shell. Now, I try my best to engage with others and to go with the flow in life. My personality and who I am today were shaped through my personal connections. I feel that I am most proud of the person I have become with the help of my relationships. I am fortunate to have been surrounded by such great people.

Some of my goals in the future is to be able to find what I enjoy most and to then pursue a career in that. I am interested in a job that incorporates making others happy. I also hope to achieve a comfortable, financial life and still be in touch with the people I am close with today in the future. Outside of school, I enjoy hanging/socializing with my friends and spending time with my dog! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I do miss being in person classes and socializing with my friends in person.

I say that the Associate in Arts program has taught me the importance of becoming familiar with networking and why and how it will help with my future life beyond college. I feel the program emphasizes on how important it is to become connected with others and how to use that for furthering one’s career. The AAP wants students to put themselves out there and to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. The program encourages its students to make their name known, in order to be acknowledged in the real world.

Interview by Hannah Corrigan, Spring 2021