Antonio Russo, a 22-year-old senior sports management major from Venezuela, is the president of Latinos for United Campus (LUC), a student organization that promotes Latino cultural awareness on campus. During his freshman year Antonio made some friends from Latin America, who told him about LUC. Antonio thought joining the club would be a good opportunity to meet new people and to get involved at Drexel.
Antonio left his home in Valencia, Venezuela, to pursue a degree in sports management. His journey led him all the way to Drexel University. Being in a new and unfamiliar place, Antonio was happy to have made some friends at Drexel who were also from Latin America. Little did he know that meeting these people would eventually lead him to become the president of LUC!
LUC works to foster awareness and enthusiasm for Latino culture on campus. The club is also involved with other organizations that represent international students from other parts of the world. They hope that this alliance will create a sense of unity amongst all the international students that are far from home, as well as encourage domestic students to learn about other cultures.
After a few years of being an active member of LUC, Antonio was elected as the president of the organization. As such, he comes up with events, makes sure everything runs smoothly and that the deadlines are met, and is the main contact for the organization. Additionally, Antonio has to set an example for his board members and the people who participate in the activities.
Being the president of LUC has been a great experience for Antonio. He has the opportunity to connect and unite people on campus, whether it is by hosting a Thanksgiving Potluck with food from member’s countries or by holding a Latino Heritage Soccer Cup. It is amazing to see how other groups come and join LUC in their activities.
One of the hardest parts of being president is hosting events that will attract people that are not members of the group, Antonio said. They host soccer cups and Valentine’s Day rose sales that are successful, but other more cultural events are not as engaging for students who don’t belong to LUC.
Thanks to LUC, Antonio feels that he is very involved on campus and that he has connected with members of the Latino community at Drexel. Without LUC, Antonio’s experience at Drexel wouldn’t have been the same, he said. Being the president of the organization has helped Antonio develop his leadership skills as well as meet deadlines and plan events. These are all skills that can be translated to the workplace.
Antonio is graduating in the spring and he hopes to explore the job market in the United States and get a position in the sports world. He is interested in sponsorship and marketing for sports teams like soccer, basketball, and even auto racing.
Besides being the president of LUC, Antonio enjoys spending time with friends, trying new cuisines, and of course playing and watching sports.
Make sure to stay tuned for future LUC events and like their FB page here!
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