Marc Artuz '24: Developing An Engaged Mindset On Campus

Now a senior, Marc Artuz '24, a Psychology and Human Services major, is a familiar face on the Elmira College campus. He is the Captain of EC’s men’s basketball team, 是跨文化学生运动员联盟(ISAA)俱乐部的主席，也是几个俱乐部的成员, completed the Soaring Higher Leadership program, volunteered at the Elmira Neighborhood Transformation Center, pitched a product at the 607 Soaring Southern Tier Startup Collegiate Competition他组织了一场诗歌大满贯，并在欧共体最近的一次活动中担任“导游” virtual tour video. 但Artuz的EC之旅并没有从EC社区开始.

“In my first year I kept to myself,” said Artuz. “I don’t think I understood that I had a voice, and I didn’t understand what effect I can have on others.”

Artuz said his self-seclusion was partly due to the pandemic, which began when he was in his senior year of high school. 新冠肺炎的限制意味着他错过了一些重要的里程碑，比如舞会和毕业典礼. COVID restrictions also dampened activities at EC.

However, things changed in his second year. 阿图兹的家人来自纽约市和波多黎各，他被邀请参加 The Fusion Arts Collective, a free, 10-week Black, Indigenous, 有色人种(BIPOC)艺术教育机会，涉及摄影和玻璃融合. The program, sponsored by Community Arts of Elmira，以联系、社区、城市景观和身份为主题.

“I made glass art about the community. I was making a piece at Grove Park, which is full of beauty. But there weren’t any people there. I wondered, where’s the gap? 正是从这个想法中，我意识到除了坐在房间里，我还能做更多的事情.”

With this in mind, and as COVID restrictions began to abate, 阿图兹开始抓住机会. When Hannah Whittier '23, a Childhood Education major, 邀请欧共体男篮队员到转化中心参加舞蹈节目, Artuz signed up.

“我们尽我们所能去帮助孩子们，”他谈到志愿者的经历.

When Larry Parker, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)/Title IX Coordinator, started the ISAA club, Casey McGraw, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, recommended Artuz to lead the club.

“马克是一个负责任的年轻人，他充满了难以置信的激情，并拥有令人难以置信的创造力, 使他成为ISAA第一任主席的最佳人选,” said McGraw. “他有一种特殊的天赋，能把人们聚集在一起，建立一种社区意识, so I knew we were in good hands.”

阿图兹很快开始联系其他扶轮社社长和社员. 他开始想方设法让学生运动员融入校园活动, particularly different cultural events and experiences.

These initial experiences started a snowball effect, 阿图兹从被动地参与到积极地寻找机会参加俱乐部和活动.

例如，当阿图兹在一次客场篮球之旅中发现一个诗歌大满贯时，他受到了启发. 他想找个地方吃饭，但发现了这个令人兴奋的经历，诗人是开放和接受的. He decided to create a similar event on campus.

“我想创造一个安全、不受评判的环境，”他说. “I collaborated with the Black Student Union, Active Minds, 和ISAA俱乐部，这样这些俱乐部成员就有机会分享他们关于心理健康的信息，以及作为黑人的感受, Hispanic, and other cultures within campus.”

“As with the other things I’ve done, I didn’t do this because of me, but because I was doing something that would help. I was doing it for others.”

Importantly, 积极参与从来没有以牺牲阿图兹的成绩或他自己的幸福为代价.

“My academics are always my priority. 作为一名学生运动员教会了我如何承担责任，我的课程教会了我在帮助别人之前先照顾好自己. And, without a doubt, 家人的鼓励让我集中精力，有动力去做更多的事情,” he shared, 他补充说，他的母亲确保他得到她知道他能得到的成绩.

Looking ahead, Artuz非常感谢他在EC得到的支持和成长机会. His next steps include attending graduate school, becoming a licensed psychologist, and opening his own practice. 他很高兴探索不同文化中的心理健康实践，并在帮助客户康复和茁壮成长的过程中运用他所学到的知识.

他说:“我在这里所做的一切，不管是好是坏，都塑造了现在的我。. “当我回头看现在的自己时，我比过去过得更好. I’m content with that.”

对于现在和未来的学生，阿图兹建议他们“勇敢地探索你能成为什么样的人. Be open to friends. To opportunities. To new ideas. 花点时间弄清楚你想成为什么样的人，你想成为什么样的人，然后为之努力. Be you.”