Back on Track

By: Nakeem Grant

 

 

            20-year old Joe Tarantino is focused as ever in being successful after his rocky start in college academics. After being kicked out of Adelphi University for poor grades and then transferring from Nassau Community College to Molloy in the fall of 2012, he is finally on track towards fulfilling his dreams and aspirations.

            Tarantino, a native of Bellmore, Long Island did not enjoy school very much, particularly when he arrived to Adelphi in the fall of 2010. He actually stated that he never really cared for going to class and admitted that he dillydallied through his entire freshman year. As a history major, he struggled to do all of his schoolwork and ended up getting kicked out of Adelphi, losing his scholarships in the process.

            It was not until he attended Nassau Community College where he took Liberal Arts that he came to a realization that what he was doing was not the right way to go about being a college student. In an interview, Tarantino mentions the poor structure of the gym facility and how the school looked overall compared to Adelphi as being an ‘eye opener’. It was at that moment where he truly realized that he had thrown away a great opportunity to get a solid education at a top-notch learning environment like Adelphi.

            By the end of his sophomore year at Nassau, he straightened out himself and took the necessary steps towards succeeding in college.

Tarantino stated, “I needed to turn my life around and get back to where I once was. So I got good grades at Nassau, I didn’t go out much. I studied very hard to make sure I did well and I got accepted here at Molloy.”

He switched his major to Media Communications after transferring to Molloy. It turns out that sports broadcasting is his true passion, naming sportscasters he watches and looks up to such as Scott Van Pelt and Stuart Scott.

In reference to the sportscasters on ESPN, Tarantino stated, “I’ve been watching SportsCenter since I was in the third grade. They make it enjoyable to watch. It’s not like your average news cast.”

With that said, it is clear to see that Tarantino knows what he wants to do with his life and is completely focused towards continuing to strive for success. His newfound work ethic and motivation has led to a new chapter in his life, one that I am sure he is proud of.