Aquinas College has a diverse student body from all walks and phases of life. Affirming that no two people are on the same journey attracts a wide range of students - from those who spend their first college years here, to those who transferred, and non-traditional students. Ask Brian Kalchik, a transfer student dedicated to making his years at Aquinas meaningful and successful.

Kalchik is pursuing a business administration and sport management dual major and journalism minor. A junior, Kalchik has been a student at Aquinas for one year. “For my first one-and-a-half years of college, I went to a community college in my hometown. I decided that I wasn’t really getting anywhere with that. I was basically doing all my gen-eds there, and I was getting ready to move on. I chose Aquinas because of the sport management program.”

He followed in the footsteps of siblings who he said were instrumental in bringing him to the campus. Since then, Kalchik has had a great deal of success as an active member of the Aquinas student body. “What I originally wanted to get out of it when I came here was a job in any of the sports fields - whether it be sales or game day operations. But now since I’ve been introduced to the journalism aspects of it, I want to be more [involved in] sports media, like a TV announcer or a broadcaster,” Kalchik said.

Kalchik is heavily involved on-campus, participating in the Sports Management Club, AQ Sound (the College’s online radio station, where Kalchik served as the first sports radio personality), Programming Board and the Campus Traditions Committee, writing for the Saint (the Aquinas student newspaper), serving as Orientation Leader, and acting as manager of the men’s basketball team. Beyond these on-campus contributions, Kalchik has twice participated in a well-loved Aquinas tradition: service learning trips, where Aquinas students travel to a new place to volunteer and offer their skills in community service.

In spring 2011, Kalchik went to Selma, Alabama as part of an AQ service learning opportunity. “[It] was my first semester here,” he said. Later, Kalchik would be a part of the Christian Appalachian Project, which offers aid to the people of East Kentucky, often in the form of home repair and construction. Of the second trip, Kalchik said, “Being the only guy on that trip, some would classify it as ‘Oh you’re just here with a bunch of girls, you’re not going to have much fun.’ But they were a blast.”

That the trip involved dedicated work didn’t deter Kalchik and the others, whose pleasure at working together was a useful antidote to the tragedy that had only just struck the area. “We were originally scheduled to do grounds cleanup, but the Friday before we were there, they had the big tornadoes that hit in that area. So they had to change up their plans, and we did disaster relief.” As many Aquinas students who participate in these programs have said, service to others can often be an opportunity to form meaningful friendships and interpersonal connections. In some cases, these social opportunities connect students who might otherwise never have built relationships, all the while providing much necessary help to those in need.

Of all these experiences - particularly his impressive work ethic - Kalchik said, “I’m trying to experience four years of Aquinas in two-and-a-half years. Coming in as a transfer student, I didn’t know what to expect. Aquinas has accepted me, and I have accepted Aquinas.”