with Chris Fitzpatrick
Born:
Westwood
Resides:
Ramsey
Favorite sport:
Hockey, but watches everything from America's Cup yachting to the Pro
Bowlers tour
Favorite teams:
New Jersey Devils, New York Mets, Green Bay Packers
Favorite movies:
Horror movies, especially the "Halloween" series
Favorite TV shows:
Game shows, especially "Jeopardy," for which he's auditioning
for the second time in May
Hobby:
Attending rock concerts
Chris Fitzpatrick's entrepreneurial spirit became apparent
early in his young life. While most kids were busy playing video games
and watching television, Chris was thinking of ways to earn a little more
than allowance money. "When I was 8 years old I stole my grandparents'
fruit and sold it to the neighbors," he confessed. "I made a
100-percent profit."
Luckily Chris has refined his methods since then and is concentrating
on learning business skills that will earn him similar dividends in the
future. In his fourth year at Montclair State, Chris is working on a double
major in business and marketing, and serves as president of the Student
Government Association (SGA). Both experiences, he says, are providing
him with a solid education when it comes to making and managing money.
Chris joined the SGA the second week of his freshman year. "The prospects
of getting to know the entire campus, the leadership opportunities, and
the fact that the SGA is run like a big corporation appealed to me,"
he said.
Chris has climbed the SGA ladder, but admitted he never set his sights
on the presidency. "I ran for vice president and won that my junior
year. At that point I knew I wanted to take that final step," he
said.
Being SGA president, he says, is a full-time job, serving as the organization's
CEO, responsible for everything from working the finances and setting
the budgets for all SGA organizations to supervising the cabinet and dealing
with disciplinary issues. In addition, he tries to be as visible to the
campus community as he can. "I try to be more than just a figurehead,"
he explained. "When I'm not in classes or in a meeting, I'm in my
office. It's like a 40-hour-a-week job, but I do it because I love it
and because I really want to see the SGA be successful."
He seems to be well on his way. "As a whole, we've been able to accomplish
a lot of the things we set out to do. At the beginning of the year we
wanted to have a full 65-member legislature and not only have we met that
goal, we have a waiting list as well," he said. But the SGA has numerous
goals yet to fulfill, including offering more weekend and evening programming,
refining the recycling program, instituting a student-teacher evaluation
Web site and promoting diversity. "This is the year to accomplish
these goals," Chris said. "This is our best chance since SGA
was incepted in the 1960s because we have such a great group of student
leaders."
Chris also is involved in two other organizations (including ASSIST, which
he founded), works on the weekend and tries to squeeze in a personal life.
"Once I start going in the morning, I just keep going."
For Chris, it all adds to his life experience. "I've learned so much.
Not just things like interpersonal skills, time management, stress management
and the importance of diversity, but I've learned a lot about myself,
my limitations and that I can't make everyone happy. That's been a tough,
but valuable lesson."
Chris will remain involved in the SGA in an advisory capacity once his
term is up, but his focus will be on beginning the next stage of his life.
"I can honestly say that in May, this chapter of my life will have
come to an end and I'll be ready to move on without any regrets."