Anthony Duran, a current sophomore at Wake Forest University, serves as chair for Project Pumpkin. Keep reading to learn more about his experience preparing for the event and some great advice for students to become more involved and develop leadership opportunities from a seasoned pro.
Hometown: Bayonne, New Jersey
Intended Major: Economics
Intended Minors: Political Science & Entrepreneurship
Her Campus (HC): When did you start to become involved with project pumpkin?
Anthony Duran (AD): During my freshman year I was an escort. It was so fun to get dressed up and spend time with the kids so I decided to increase my involvement.
HC: What made you seek out this leadership opportunity?
AD: I have always loved service work and enjoyed being involved in the community around me. Also I truly love working with children and I find it extremely fun.
HC: What was your goal in planning for project pumpkin this year?
AD: My goal was simply to make the event centered around the kids and helping them have as much fun as possible. I also wanted to make the behind the scenes work go as smoothly as possible so that the event would be all about fun for the kids.
HC: What’s your favorite memory from Project Pumpkin?
AD: My favorite memory was the day of the event right before the kids started coming. The whole team was in Wait Chapel just experiencing that calm before the storm excitement and it was so great to see all of our hard work come together.
HC: What was the most fun moment of this process?
AD: We did “plunges” at local schools before the event where we would go in and do after school programs to make crafts that were turned into decorations for the event. It was so fun to see so much happiness from so many kids and it was a great experience for me and all the volunteers who got to come.
HC: What’s something you love about Wake?
AD: I love the community of Wake. It’s big school vibe but everyone knows each other and there is such a constant and clear camaraderie amongst all the people you see, which makes it feel like a second home.
HC: As a sophomore, do you have any advice for freshmen?
AD: For freshmen, take advantage of everything Wake has to offer. It is truly an amazing place with so much to offer and you do not want to miss out on anything over the next four years and making memories to last a lifetime.
photos courtesy of Anthony Duran
article by Caroline Dai