It’s true that the energy we harvest within ourselves, has a direct impact on those around us. For junior business administration/finance student and Student Government President, Nicholas Verzicco, this impact is nothing but positivity and enthusiasm for Monmouth University.
Verzicco recalls, “I decided to come to Monmouth because of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program which has helped me tremendously in my Monmouth career. The extra support I was going to receive was very appealing to me. Also, the beauty of this campus really made me feel at home. In the sculpture garden by the Koi pond is where I decided that if I get into the EOF program I would come here.”
It was during the summer of 2015 five week EOF program where Vice President for Student Life and Leadership Engagement, Mary Anne Nagy first met Verzicco. Nagy said of Verzicco, “I’ve been here 32 years and have worked with a lot of student leaders, and I have to say, I think Nick is a pretty amazing young man.”
Nagy recalls her first impressions of Verzicco saying, “He’s funny, outgoing and he makes you feel good because he feels good and that’s important.”
As Student Government President and a Student Ambassador for the University, Verzicco knows he has the ability to influence his peers and other students.
Verzicco said, “Being a student leader on campus means that you are a familiar face that students can go to for advice or direction. I take pride in being a student leader and I want my fellow peers to take pride in Monmouth.”
Being an Orientation Leader during summer 2016 and summer 2017, Verzicco was able to use his leadership skills not only to welcome incoming freshman, but also the other orientation staff as well.
Mary Fitzgerald, a senior mathematics and education student, worked side by side with Verzicco as his partner during both summers. Fitzgerald recalls her experience working with Verzicco and said, “Nick is a person that can connect with anyone. He always has positive energy and can make anyone feel comfortable and at ease.”
Fitzgerald says that working with Verzicco taught her to be a better leader by being more confident in herself and staying true to who she is. “One of the greatest aspects of working with Nick was having a partner that was constantly building me up and seeing our partnership as two equals,” she said.
This confidence and energy that many recognize in Verzicco, he said, comes from his background in martial arts. “I owe a lot of my success to my martial arts background. The confidence, motivation, and discipline that was instilled into me really has made me the person who I am today. Martial arts is where I got my three E’s from: Energy, Effort, and Enthusiasm. I have lived by this and it’s really taken me far,” Verzicco said.
Verzicco’s leadership experience is not only limited to Monmouth University’s campus. Verzicco took his influence abroad as well when he participated in the Global Education Office’s Alternative Break program to Nicaragua in May 2016 and May 2017 as well as Haiti in January 2018.
A member of the 2017 gradauting class, Zachary Bayles has witnessed Verzicco in many of his leadership settings. “After knowing Nick for a few years, I’ve seen how versatile he can be in any situation you put him in. Whether it’s touring the campus with potential students, filming every Monmouth sporting event, or even doing volunteer work in Haiti, he always puts his best foot forward and brings the same energy and enthusiasm everywhere he goes,” Bayles said.
Looking forward to his senior year and beyond, Verzicco reflects on how Monmouth has prepared him for the future.
“Monmouth has given me the skills and confidence that I would have never received anywhere else. I have traveled different places in the country and world gaining different perspectives,” Verzicco said.
“I have held different leadership positions, which have taught me responsibility, and gave me confidence so that I can tackle anything in my path. The diverse administration, faculty, and students that I have interacted with has me sure I can work with anyone. Monmouth has helped me grow and reach for my full potential,” he said.
PHOTO COURTESY of Nicholas Verzicco
