Meet Adam Soto, a junior at TCNJ who you’re going to want to ask if he has time to sleep when I finish listing his involvements. Adam is an Accounting Major, SMP (Simultaneous Member Programs) Cadet in the US National Guard, Bonner Scholar, brother of Phi Alpha Delta, and Cadet First Sergeant of TCNJ ROTC.
Adam entered college with only one of these titles, a Bonner Scholar. For those who are not familiar with the Bonner Institute at TCNJ, it is a program which offers scholarship to students who are passionate about making a difference. Through this program, Adam and all other Bonner Scholars each complete 300 hours of service per year with local community partners. Adam’s work with the TCNJ Bonner Institute focuses on food security. He tends to the campus garden and visits the Mercer Street Food Bank on a weekly basis.
Halfway through his freshman year is when Adam made the decision to join the Army National Guard. When asked what made him want to join he responded: “I wanted to be a part of the strongest fighting force in the world, and I felt as though I can make a difference.” Being an SMP Cadet means that Adam is currently both an enlisted member of the Army and a member of an accredited ROTC Program on his way to receiving a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. Adam’s Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in the army currently is a Fires Support Specialist. This means he will be attached to infantry or forward assaulting units in order to provide aide via artillery support.
Adam has a lot on his plate, but he never loses sight of the big picture. What inspires him to push forward when he has a stressful or overwhelming day is his vision of his end goal. He knows what he wants his future to look like, and he is not going to stop working hard until he reaches that dream. At the end of his college career he wants to branch Aviation when he commissions, and he eventually wants to become an Officer.
Adam’s advice for anyone who is stressed or feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities is to “stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and just focus on why you’re doing it and what you’re working towards. Focus on how incredible you will feel when you reach your goal.”
In addition to everything Adam participates in, he is an outspoken supporter of Women’s Rights. He considers himself a feminist and speaks out against the rape culture that exists in college settings. He has in the past participated in TCNJ’s SlutWalk and plans on having more involvement in the future. He wants to get rid of the stigma that exists around sexual assault. “It is never the victim’s fault. People need to stop overlooking a victim’s situation in lieu of irrelevent factors. I’m sick of hearing ‘But she was wearing whatever’ ‘Oh, but she sleeps around with everyone’. It’s not okay to assert any blame onto a victim.” Adam continued to say, “Also…people need to educate themselves about Planned Parenthood. I’m tired of the negative connotation that surrounds it. It isn’t just an abortion clinic. Abortion is only 3% of the services they offer.” Adam understands that these are all not “just women’s issues” but that men need to support these fights too.
So what doesn’t Adam do? We’re guessing get a lot of sleep, but he is passionate about everything he is involved in, and wouldn’t trade his hectic life for the world. He loves and takes pride in what he does.