Philip Antinone

Hometown: Bedford, TX

Major/Minor: Music Education, Italian Minor

Graduating: Fall 2016

Q: What extracurricular activities are you currently involved in at TCU? What have you been involved in in the past?

A: “Current: Marching Band (tuba!), Rowing Club, Student Foundation, Frog Corps, TCU Jazz Carolers, Resident Assistant. Past: TCU Cheerleader, Italian Club, BYX, Frog Camp.”

Q: What made you decide to join marching band this year?

A: “I asked myself one question: When will I have the opportunity to be in a marching band again? And with that said, I knew that I couldn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Q: Out of the many extracurricular experiences you have had, which do you think has had the strongest impact on your time at TCU and what kind of impact has it made?

A: “Student Foundations was the very first organization for me to join; I joined as a freshman, which I came to find out is not very common. StuFo taught me to hold myself to the standards of our mission statement, to remember that my words and actions represent a greater entity that myself alone, so I must always be aware of how I interact with others, and lastly, it gave me a love for this school that I didn’t know I had inside of me. To date, I’ve given well over 100 tours to prospective students, spoken at Monday at TCU to hundreds of families, and interacted with alumni dating back to the 70s. Each tour, speech and conversation reminds me of how blessed I am to be a Horned Frog and how I always be a member of this amazing community.” 

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?

A: “I have a few options in mind, but if things work out, I hope to receive a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in an Italian high school is Southern Italy, and then return to the U.S. to study at Yale Divinity School for a Master’s Divinity. Eventually I would like to serve abroad and plant a church in Italy, in which I would serve for the decades to come. To tie it all off, I hope to retire in the TCU community and die as Horned Frog. As I like to say, some people have a 5-year plan, well, I have a 50-year plan.”  

Q: What do you think you will miss most about TCU when you graduate?

A: “I’m going to miss the feeling of being at home. I don’t know what can replace the sensation I get when I walk around this campus and see people that I know and care about on a regular basis, who also know and care about me. The feeling of ‘belonging’ is what makes TCU special to me, because I know that when I’m at TCU, I’m at home.”

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting their time here at TCU?

A: “Get involved in at least organizations during your time at TCU. We go to a university that has so many resources and opportunities that it would be foolish to join only one thing and not try something new. College is the time in our lives to grow and develop into the men and women that we want to be, so how can you do that if you’re not willing to step outside of your comfort? If you want to do something, then do it! You are the master of your own destiny and you are the only one that can truly limit yourself; don’t be afraid to risk failure for the feeling of success; manage your time, ask for help when you need it, and remember, you’re a Horned Frog and you’re here for a reason, so don’t squander these four precious years that you have here.”

Photo courtesy of Philip Antinone 

• Marching Band
• music
• tcu