Eddie Cruz ’08 was accepted by all twelve schools that he applied to, but knew St. Lawrence was the perfect fit for him.  He couldn’t be happier with his decision. “If I’m not going to be at home, I’d want to be at St. Lawrence,” he says.

When he is at home, Speech & Theatre major (the major's name has been changed to Performance and Communication Arts) Eddie is in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he graduated from Grover Cleveland High School. “I had no intentions of going away to school,” he says.  But after meeting Bill Short, director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), and hearing about all that St. Lawrence and HEOP had to offer him, Eddie decided to visit.  “I loved the environment and the atmosphere,” he says.

After being accepted, Eddie participated in a five-week summer program, along with other HEOP students, to help him prepare for college life.   “It was intense,” Eddie says, explaining that students were in class or doing work for nearly 13 hours a day.  Even though it was hard at times, “I credit the program for my current academic success at St. Lawrence,” he says.

As it has for many students, HEOP has given Eddie opportunities he may not have had otherwise, which is one reason he began interning with Bill Short and working with HEOP during his first year.  As his intern, Eddie travels with Bill and speaks to students about the benefits of HEOP and what it can do for them.  “It’s fun talking to high school students,” he says.  “I’ve also learned how to run an organization.”

While the internship takes up a lot of hours, Eddie still finds time to work in career services, serve as a community assistant , play intramural sports and of course, peform in stage or work behind the scenes.   “I love meeting and helping people,” he says.