Let's fast forward

Freshman year impacted my college experience in a tremendous way. If I hadn't gone through those experience than I wouldn't be the student leader i am today. Sophomore year........

Look out for more updates on my life as an EOF student coming soon!

Mission accomplished

 Everyone has goals in life. Goals are what make a person keep striving to do better. One goal that I had in mind as soon as I step foot here was becoming the President of my class. I knew what I had to do and my mind was set to make it happen. Spring semester came along and I had my ticket ready to go. Something that you learn in EOF is that you can always count your fellow EOF students for support. I could not have done it by myself that's for sure. I knew I needed to choose the best of the best and where else would I find that, other than in the EOF program. I chose Samantha Duke to serve as Vice President (my right hand woman), Clarence Stewart to serve as Treasurer (the money man), and Daniela Villacres to serve as Secretary. WE WERE IN IT TO WIN IT! I must admit, we did have competition but our determination was not going to let us lose. Our motto is ONE TEAM, ONE DREAM and we follow those wise words everyday. We came up with ideas and strategies to campaign hardcore. in April, the results were in and WE WON THE TITLE OF CLASS OFFICERS! This moment had to be my happiest ever. It was our time to make a change!

Above is the picture we used for our campaign. Don't we look so young?

making moves from the beginning

After I successfully completed the EOF Summer program, I was ready to face the college world. I realized it was time for me to live as a young adult who was able to make rational decisions. As a freshman, the EOF program taught me that grades come first and everything else follows. Professor Livesay, in particular, always told me that a GPA is the most important aspect of college and that it will determine my future. He was right and, until this day, he still is. Time management tends to be a problem for most, if not all, college students. Many feel that they have so much to do but with so little time. What students don't know is that all they need is to manage their time well and wisely. Fall semester of my freshman year, I was exceling gradewise and after my first semester of college, I decided I wanted to get involved with different organizations and clubs. My goal was to make a difference at Saint Peter's. I didn't want to be just any student. My main goal was to become the President of my class, for it would provide me with the oppurtunity to listen to my fellow classmates and their needs. My main inspiration was my great interest in event planning. The first organization I got involved with was LASO. This was and still is the greatest organization on-campus (in my eyes) because it has taught me a lot of what I know today. I definitely owe an ENORMOUS THANK YOU TO NOEL BORGES, an EOF student and the current Student Senate President, for motivating me to get involved. If it wasn't for his words of advice and support, I would have never believed in myself. I have to admit,  Mr. Borges is one of my biggest role models at SPC because he showed me how to be a student leader and inspired me to use my talents and skills to create a positive change in the world. Again, THANK YOU NOEL!

The first event that i was involved is was the 2nd Annual Lain Dance/Music Expo. I had the chance to dance salsa in front of an audience of a little more than 300 people. It had to be the biggest adrenline rush I've ever felt in my life. I remember the night so vividly. The LASO dance group had spent months practicing for the show and the performance was amazing. This is definitely one of the best memories I had at SPC.

Below are pictures of LASO members and the salsa performance in action. It was an incredible and unforgettable night..

 Another event that made my experience at SPC more meaningful was the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) conference LASO attended in Newark, NJ. This conference opened my eyes to the different issues in Latin America and what we could to bring about awareness to our own campus. Networking with a number of LASO organization all around the Northeast region was great and the successful speakers we heard were inspiring.

Above is a group picture at USHLI conference. Saint Peter's LASO was rolling deep!

eof is family

Hello SPC! My name is Katherine S. Arcos but please call me Katt. I'm 20 years old. Currently I am a junior working on my bachelor's degree in Communications with a minor in Spanish at Saint Peter's College. I must add that I'm a proud student in the Educational Opuurtunity Fund (EOF) program. This year I hold positions that include President of the Class of 2011(for two consecutive years), President of the Latin American Service Organization (LASO), Public Relations Director for the Alliance of EOF Students of NJ (AESNJ), and Assistant and mentor of the EOF Peer Mentor Program. During the two years that I've been at SPC, I've held positions such as First Year Orientation Leader '09, Established Leader '09, Vice President of AESNJ, Public Relations Director for LASO, Emerging Leader '07, and member of the Student Entertainment Board (SEB) and Commuter Student Association (CSA). Since my freshman year I have grown to truly love SPC and it has opened many doors for me. Students would say that I'm pretty involved on-campus and I would have to agree with them. I try my best to take advantage of every oppurtunity that I get to make a difference at SPC.

You might be wondering how my life was before college. Well, let me give you some background information on how I got to where I am today. My whole life I've attended Catholic schools. In June 2007, I graduated from Caritas Academy (an all-girls high school) only a few blocks away from Saint Peter's. I remember my senior year trying to narrow down the colleges I wanted to apply to. It came down to three choices and Saint Peter's was my first choice. I attended the Open House in the Fall and from there I knew SPC was the college for me. It was close to home (literally 10 minutes driving) and the students, faculty, and administration at the tables were so kind and welcoming. I fell in love with the whole environment and the energy that everyone had. Everything was working out great but it didn't stop there. I was accepted but best of all, I was also accepted to the EOF program! I was so excited to start my college career.

I honestly believe that being in the EOF program prepared me for the real college experience. I was so accustomed to my high school ways that I didn't know what to expect in college. Luckily, upon acceptance to the EOF program we each had to survive the summer program. Well, was I in for a rude awakening? I thought I had everything in the bag until I entered Professor Livesay's class. I nearly had a heart attack when he handed us the syllabus; four cultural IDs per week, 1, 500 word journal, powerpoint presentation, project on selected readings. This was nothing like high school. This was not our only class. Aside from English, I had Math with Prof. Protomastro, Reading with Prof. Bajor, and History with Dr. Gillen. I knew what I had to do even if it looked impossible. The summer flew by and it was time to graduate from the summer program. YES, I MADE IT! At the graduation ceremony, Prof. Livesay approached me and asked me, along with two other EOF classmates, to say a few words about the summer program and my personal experience. This was an honor because I worked hard that summer and handed in every assignment. I learned so much about myself and the work I was capable of completing. The program really helped me improve my writing, reading, and math skills and I'm grateful because it prepped me for the college level. In addition, I created a special bond with my fellow classmates. We had become one big family and I love each and every one of them.

To the right is a throwback picture on the last day of the summer program. We were so happy to have completed the program and ready to enjoy the rest of our summer. Good times!