From the Desk Of Kevin Gleason, Business Manager
Sherman, New York. This is the place that I will always call home. This is the little farm town where everyone would attend the basketball game on a Friday night. This is the small town that allowed me to express myself by allowing me to dance in the talent show or do my famous cartwheel split at basketball games. This is the place where I grew up on a little farm, with two older sisters and two younger brothers. My mom and dad adopted us three boys. But as the time passed and I grew up, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live here my whole life.
Growing up, I had the passions of music, theatre and dance. So when I was younger, I always knew that marketing and theatre is what I would go to school for. Like every typical theatre kid, I always had and have the dream that I would move to New York City. The beauty of the city skyline and the bustling sounds of cars and people talking is what I want my everyday life to be. Once I graduate in May, I cannot wait to go out into the real world and start my career doing what I love. There are three places that I want to live and work.
Disney. New York City. London.
“A dream is a wish your heart makes. When you are fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams and someday. Your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving. If you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”
This is one of my favorite songs and quotes. No matter where I am or what I am doing in my career, I just want to be pursuing what my heart believes in.
I grew up in a town where if you were on a sports team, you were probably in the school’s plays and musicals. I grew up where our trap shooting team and FFA teams were the biggest clubs in school. This made me appreciate community. But I always kept telling myself that I would need to go away if I wanted to achieve my theatre and marketing dreams. If I don’t end up in New York City, I want to live in a city like Pittsburgh. My best friend from middle and high school made the pact with me that we would both live together in Pittsburgh. She is currently attending Duquesne University. We both love how beautiful it is. There is so much great theatre there. The marketing world is also thriving with businesses both old and new.
As a senior here at Fredonia, I would like to leave everyone with one small piece of advice that has helped me along the way. Go out and do what you really want to do. This is your chance to really dip your toes into new waters and new territories. If you want to travel, then travel. If you want to open your own business, do it. If you want to do what makes you happy, do it.
As I write this From the Desk Of, I just want to thank everyone that has helped me through the last 3 years of my time here at Fredonia. Fredonia helped me to rethink what the meaning of community is. Fredonia also helped me in teaching me that I will always have a place to call home.
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, can’t be more honest. Thank you everybody for all the amazing and generous opportunities that I have been able to gain from transferring here to Fredonia.