Pena reflects on Tufts college career, discusses understanding of equity, leadership, community

PENA continued from page 26 ting that inspire you,” he said. “I never tried to be [a] leader, that’s like, ‘we’re doing this no matter what,’ or ‘this is how this is going to work.’ I always take a collaborative approach to things and listen to the ideas of others.”

In this respect, Pena thanked and credited his football coach, Jay Civetti, who has shaped his understanding of leadership over the years.

“Coach Civetti, he capitalizes [the word] team every single time he types it out. I remember, in my freshman year, [asking] him, ‘Coach, why do you do that?’ And he was like, ‘You will know by the end of your time here,’” Pena said. “And surely, every single day was a reminder of why we capitalize ‘TEAM,’ whenever we type it out.”

Among his many passions and interests, Pena also emphasized that the football community is where he feels most at home at Tufts. This season, he cited, is his 16th football season.

As a first-generation student, Pena added how football has opened up many opportunities for him, including his education at Tufts.

“Football really was a blessing in my life, because it got me to … a college like Tufts University,” he said. “How I first heard about Tufts was through football. My high school football coach told me about Tufts and told me about the NESCAC. … I think it was like a match made in heaven.”

Overall, while it has not always been easy to balance his two majors, extracurricular commitments and various leadership positions, Pena shared that the people at Tufts continued to motivate him, through the ups and downs.

“Making the world a better place and my passion for my communities is definitely what

I believe gets me out of bed every single day,” he said. “It’s easy to get out of bed, early morning on a Sunday after a late Saturday night, to go meet with an administrator to advocate for something that will improve or better someone else’s life. It’s easy to get out of bed and go to a 6 a.m. football lift when you are willing to do whatever it takes to win for your brothers on the team.”

Reflecting back on his four years at Tufts, Pena concluded that he can now see how his college journey has been animated by his desire to make this world a better place.

Moving forward, he ultimately aims to extend and build on his endeavors at Tufts through a career in politics.

From this perspective, Pena elaborated on his understanding of what a better world might look like, consonant with his commitment to equity and leadership experiences.

“I think a better world looks like a world where people can be themselves unapologetically and live their life exactly how they want to live their life, without any fear or with the utmost freedom, which each individual in our world deserves,” he said.