From princess to pop star, BMX racer to rock star… when I was a little kid, I had lots of dreams, but the overarching theme was always the same: to be heard and seen. From days spent piecing together puzzles and charging my family twenty-five cents to view these “installations” in the hallway, I have always been in love with the experience of art. Playing pretend, dreaming of what I could be, became a pathway through which I could envision my future. Now, as a senior Sound Studies and Communication major, my research is the culmination of that lifelong curiosity: an exploration of the invisible, auditory layers that shape our visual world. While I may be grown, I am still that girl in the hallway. Only now, the dress-up box has been replaced by internships, and passions worth pursuing. 

Just like the sports she covers, Luz knows that breaking into sports media is a team effort. She credits much of her development to the community she has found at Manhattan University. “My professors and classmates have supported me and helped me grow, in addition to the connections I’ve made through working on our ESPN+ games,” Luz notes. “I’ve also been building connections with the commentators who work with our school and for ESPN, which has given me valuable insights.” 

Luz is growing in a community she has planted herself in, full of like-minded peers. The community we choose becomes a reflection of the future we are building, a collaborative environment where every connection brings a once-distant dream into clearer focus. 

The band without a name 

Nick, Ethan, Kevin, and Edwin are deep in the process of recording an EP set to release at the beginning of May. They pour most of their free time into writing and polishing every track to make their studio sessions as productive as possible— even if, on the day I dropped by, rehearsal did technically start an hour late… 

As college seniors, they all share a mutual dread for the one question they weren’t happy I asked: “What are your plans for next year?” Their paths forward are as diverse as the different energies they bring to the band.  

Another path forward

Once in a while, we’re granted the opportunity to pivot, to make the changes that help us pave our path forward. At 21, while attending community college, Mike met a recruiter and, having always been fascinated by serving in the infantry, enlisted in the Marines. After four years of service, he found himself back at a crossroads. Without a clear vision for life after the military, a friend’s recommendation brought him to Manhattan University, and its reputation for supporting its veteran community made the decision easy. 

“If the Veteran Success Center wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. 

What I was always meant to be

Our dreams and ambitions are only as dynamic as we allow them to be. When I asked my mom when she first realized she wanted to teach, her answer was a mix of destiny and discovery. The realization didn’t fully click until she was a college student pivoting away from a chemistry major. “Growing up, I remember always coming home to play ‘school’ with my Barbies,” she said. 

Now, as a first-grade teacher for 30 years, she says the most rewarding part of the job is witnessing the explosive period of growth that happens at this age. “You have kids who can’t read when they enter first grade, and they leave being able to read, write, and solve math problems. It’s such a developmental year, and it’s also so special to see them grow as people as they become more independent and form relationships.” 

“Whatever is to be will come to me” 

“It was during my first year of college,” Fr. Edward Beck recalled when I asked when he first felt called to religious life. “I wasn’t thinking of doing this at all. At the time, I was preparing for a career on Wall Street, but I felt very disenchanted with what I saw and the idea that it should be my future.” 

Now a member of the Campus Ministry team at Manhattan University, Fr. Beck finds his greatest reward in walking alongside students as they navigate their struggles and questions. For him, fulfillment comes from providing a safe space where the team’s presence makes a tangible difference in the lives of students. 

His time in the service didn’t just fulfill an obligation; it provided a blueprint. After three years, he transitioned into civilian life at Rohm and Haas, working on boilers. “I sort of let my time in the Navy be my guide,” he told me. “Being a boiler operator is a pretty good job; it’s what I did during my time in the service, and so I just started doing that.”  

But he didn’t stop there, and beyond being a boiler technician, he would go on to become a hairdresser. “I knew it was a business that nobody seemed to want, and my dad was getting ready to retire. So, I figured, well, let me try that.” And after hairdressing, at the age of 50, Bill went back to school to learn and be certified for HVAC. Even after retiring, he worked at a car rental company and now, at 83, currently works in transportation for a local boarding school. 

In a world that pressures us to “find our passion” early and stick to it, my grandfather’s life proves that you are never locked into a single identity. Having dreams isn’t always about following one plan; sometimes it’s about having the courage to look at a new opportunity and say, “Let me try that.”