If your dreams don’t scare you they’re not big enough: Alex Watkins
Age: 25
Hometown: Saint Petersburg, FL
Alex has been a great addition to the Eckerd community. He is currently a double major in Theatre and Psychology. Alex decided to come to Eckerd, because of his family roots here in Saint Petersburg. He wanted to be closer to his family because, he spent six years in the Navy before attending Eckerd. The best experience Alex had in the Navy was traveling the world with the friends he made along the way. Alex’s favorite thing about Eckerd is, “the college is the community. The students, faculty and staff really care about one another and the fact that everyone is genuinely interested in one another.” He believes that this is what sets Eckerd apart from other colleges and universities.
Alex is very active on campus. He is involved in the Tritones and an ambassador for the college. He is loved among the Eckerd community for his caring, unique, energetic personality. Alex shared, “The best part of being in the Tritones is being able to perform for the school. It is really cool to see and hear how much people enjoy all of our hard work.” You can follow Alex and his fellow the Tritones on their Facebook Fan Page! They post current news and video clips of performances!
https://www.facebook.com/ectritones
Also, Alex was a facilitator for Leadership Self Discovery Practicum this year. LSDP is a winter term course offered to freshman that is taught by Professor Jeff Howard with the help of select upperclassmen as facilitators. Alex humbly shared the reason he wanted to be a part of LSDP was, “Even though I was in the military and I had plenty of experience being a leader, I believe that there is always something you can improve to be a better leader. That’s why I decided to be a facilitator this past winter term. I believe I still have a lot to improve on and more things to learn when it comes to being an effective leader, which is why I am hoping to facilitate again next year.”
If you have ever asked someone that was a part of LSDP what was he/her favorite part, you know that it’s not an easy question to answer. Being a facilitator offers another perspective of the program. Reflecting back on his experience in the program as a freshman, he credits the program for some of his lifelong friends. One of his favorite parts of being a facilitator for LSDP was that, “along with being able to guide students through this program, I was also able to reflect and see how much I, along with the students that took the class, had grown in a matter of three weeks.”
As an upperclassmen here at Eckerd, I asked Alex what advise he would give to incoming freshman. He understands the excitement surrounded with starting a new chapter in life. Many students are encouraged to dive right in and get involved in as much as possible as soon as possible. However, Alex encourages freshman when he says, “…you have four years to accomplish everything you want. Take it slow, that way your college experience doesn’t just go by in a blur.”
Alex’s favorite quote is, “If your dreams don’t scare you they’re not big enough,” His dream is to become a well-known actor. “I’m very realistic though and realize the chance for that to happen is very slim, but despite how slim my chances may be I am going to do all I can to attempt to make my dream a reality.” Alex’s determination and perseverance are admirable. I wish him nothing but, the best.