Tomas Garcia, TCU President

Say hello to the new face of Tufts University.  No, it’s not Monaco, but a close second: Tomas Garcia, newly elected president of the TCU.  This 2012 Jumbo first knew he wanted to run for the position during Winter Break when he realized that there were some things he wanted to change about Tufts.  With the help of his dedicated campaign team, Tomas found his way to the top.  He’s incredibly grateful for those who helped him along the way.   “I got to know them in ways I hadn’t before.  I count the members of my campaign team as true friends.  Sometimes I think: do I really deserve all this?”  According to the student body, the answer is yes.  Tomas is not a newcomer to the Senate or to working with other members of the student body- his Mock Trial team made it to Nationals and was named the 5^th best team in the country.  He says that he truly hopes to “make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of students.”
            Although it’s easy to think of him strictly as a political figure on the Tufts scene, Tomas is also a regular student with interests and a knack for beer pong.  (He and his pong-partner, Ben Kalter, once went on a 25 game winning streak.)  He traveled around Argentina for 3 months after high school, but luckily he’s a fluent Spanish speaker.  Tomas’ parents are from the South American country, so Tomas grew up speaking Spanish.  He also kayaks, hikes, plays FIFA, dabbles in creative writing, goes into Boston to enjoy the city, and relaxes with friends whenever he can find the time.  Like many Jumbos, Tomas says that the “day-to-day” interactions with people from all different backgrounds with different interests” is what makes Tufts such a great place to be.  “Plus, the mascot is just awesome.”
            He’ll be working towards his goal of getting into finance with his internship at Goldman Sachs this summer.  “For the long term, I do want to get into politics.  I’d like to keep my options open, though.  I want to travel and remain flexible about my future.”  While Tomas Garcia might be keeping his long-term options open, his senior year is planned out thanks to the voting of Tufts undergrads.  He urges the incoming class to reach out to professors, people from all different social groups, and him.  Tomas wants to hear the voice of the students, so don’t be shy about talking to him.  If you’re nervous, maybe you could call him by one of his nicknames: Tom, Tommy, or Toto.  But no matter how you refer to him, Tomas Garcia is truly a Campus Celebrity.