Jose Antonio Lule

“I chose Carthage for a couple of reasons, the first being that it’s close to home. I live around the north side of Chicago, and it’s only about an hour’s drive to get home. I like the fact that I live far enough to where I can be on my own but close enough to where I can go home when I want to. Second, I really like the community. I was recruited into the Carthage esports team. Lastly, I couldn’t resist Carthage’s countless study abroad opportunities, and being able to study abroad is something I wanted to do for years.”

“It is really easy to make connections with the faculty on campus. Professor Stephanie Mitchell has helped me participate in the community and also helped me decide to switch to be a history major.

“I also really appreciate Victor Escobedo. He gave me the opportunity to be part of a new mentoring program this year on campus, and I am very excited to be part of the team. Although this new program is student-led, I know that Mr. Escobedo will always be there to guide the leadership team with our mentors and mentees. Aside from helping to organize events on campus, I know that if I ever need support in any way, he is someone I can talk to.”

“So far, my favorite class was my Japanese class last year. All of my classmates got really close with each other after a couple of weeks, and we would always hang out together. That class was where I made some of my first friends on campus outside of esports, and I was really happy with how welcoming the whole class was. For the most part, everyone knew each other because they had already taken a class with one another, so being part of that community really helped with my transition from being a high school student to a college student.”

“The hardest class I took so far was Intro to International Relations. Professor Jeff Roberg challenged us to think less about the ‘how’ and more about the ‘why’ for many topics covered. He is a great professor, and he will always challenge his students with assignments and readings.”

“I am involved in a lot on campus. I am the vice president of Mi Gente. Mi Gente holds an extraordinary place in my heart, and I am so glad I joined this organization. I can meet with other Hispanic/Latino students on campus who relate with me on every level. I also appreciate that we help our members with scholarship opportunities. Being part of the Latino community on campus motivates me to be better not only for myself, but for the organization as well.

“I am involved in Blitz Ultimate Frisbee. I joined Blitz last year as a freshman, and it was one of the best decisions I made here. Growing up, I played various sports, and I wanted to try a somewhat new sport. The team was very welcoming, and I came to find out a couple of my teammates were from the same area as me. I enjoy the family dynamic we have as a team. My favorite part is being able to have dinner together after practices.

“I am also involved in the S.M.A.R.T.E.R program as a lead/mentor. The program is a mentoring program that helps first-year BIPOC students with their transition into becoming college students. My job is to recruit potential students to be mentors for the program and see how well they will perform as mentors. Recently, I was assigned a mentee, and I am very excited to see how much he grows as a student at Carthage.

“I am a member of Tau Sigma Phi. It is a returning fraternity to campus, and I am glad to join. The fraternity president is my friend Sam, who recruited me as an incoming freshman to the esports team. Once I met my brothers and learned about our goals as a fraternity, I knew that this was something I needed to be a part of. I am forever grateful for the unconditional love and support my brothers give me, and I can’t wait to see how this year goes.

“Finally, I am a player for the esports team. I play Overwatch for the Firebirds Black Team and am very excited about this season. Everyone I met in the program is enjoyable to be around. It’s common to see us working out or studying together in the classroom in the Esports Arena. The arena is a cool space to play video games or hang out with friends.”

“One of my favorite opportunities was joining the Mi Gente eboard. I am the organization’s vice president this year, and I am very excited for the year. Last year, I was the Student Government representative for Mi Gente. Being able to work with such an amazing eboard has taught me better communication skills as well as organization.

“When I joined Mi Gente, I also learned how to use my voice. I attended a conference last spring in Washington, D.C., and it allowed the Mi Gente eboard and I to speak with representatives from Wisconsin. Although I am from Illinois, I took the opportunity to voice my concerns on current events and how they affect neighboring states.”

“After I graduate from Carthage, I want to work in government. Hopefully, I’d be able to work in an Illinois or Wisconsin senator’s office and live in Washington, DC. I want to work in government because I believe using your voice, speaking in what you believe in, and using it constructively is super important.”

“My favorite spot on campus is the picnic area behind The Tower. Sometimes my friends and I will meet up to play volleyball, or my teammates from Blitz will show up and toss the disc around for a couple of hours.”

“My favorite memory was going to the 2022 Kick-Off Carnival with my old roommate Tommy and my friend John. We dressed in suits and followed our resident assistant around like his secret service agents, and we also performed a song at the carnival. We kept a straight face throughout the performance, and everyone loved it.”