Meet…
Caleb Means, a Student Ambassador at Sinclair who is always focused on moving forward.
What makes him interesting…
Means is in his second semester at Sinclair and will graduate in spring of 2016 with a communication degree. Although he attended Sinclair right out of high school in 2007, his path took a different route where he ended up in Canton, Ohio going to school and working full-time. Now that he is back at Sinclair, he says he realizes how important it is to network and surround himself with positive people.
“It’s not about what you know—it’s about who you know,” Means said.
Taking pride in what he does as a student ambassador is how Means finds a feeling of connection at Sinclair. He said his center focus is helping students.
“The first few semesters of college is scary and high school doesn’t prepare you for life at all, so when you get here, you have to take responsibility for yourself, and it’s hard. So, it’s nice to be able to help students,” Means said.
Along with helping students, Means also attends off-campus events, such as high school visits and college fairs to help promote Sinclair.
“When you hear ‘community college,’ you don’t think this is the place I want to go and most people think it’s a place where people go who are down on their luck, but it’s not that way at all,” Means said. “A community college is for people who maybe can’t afford a four year institution, or who are looking to save money. It’s probably one of the best community colleges in the nation, as far as I’m concerned.”
Even though graduation is not far away, Means is contemplating continuing to take classes at Sinclair just to stay involved, while hoping to also attend Wright State University. His next goal, after finishing his degree, is to work towards landing a sports management or sports journalism position.
Means said it’s a good opportunity to get involved with Sinclair because it helps students meet faculty members and other fellow students. He said it’s important to surround yourself with people who will help you, and who are encouraging you to move forward with your life. He said Dawayne Kirkman, Director of Student Affairs, is always inspiring him to do his best.
“Dawayne is amazing—he’s always encouraging,” Means said. “He is such a good guy, you can’t even begin to understand.”
Not only does Means enjoy meeting new people on campus and continuing to be involved with Sinclair, he also likes to stay active in his free time.
“I like to workout—I play softball and basketball,” Means said. “I am kind of into building computers too.”
Means said he doesn’t rely on others to take responsibility for his life. He said he takes one step at a time, but is always focused on moving forward.
“Take pride in the work that you do and take the initiative—don’t rely on somebody else to do it for you. Take responsibility for your life because if you don’t, you’ll just do the same old thing everyday,” Means said. “You should always be looking to move forward, no matter what you’re doing.”
Gabrielle Sharp
Executive Editor