East Haven- A lot of 20-year-old guys like to spend their time playing video games or watching television, idling away their time until class or work, procrastinating on their homework or other responsibilities. Anthony is not one of them. At the age of 20, Anthony has accomplished more then some will accomplish in a lifetime.
For starters, he's a volunteer firefighter, a veteran at his young age, having joined the force when he was only 18 years-old.
“I actually graduated from night school the night after I graduated from high school,” says Anthony.
As a volunteer, Anthony is always on call. He carries a pager with him, like all the volunteers, to alert him when his services are needed, whether it be for a fire or medical emergency.
“There is no set schedule to come to the firehouse. They just call you when they need you. So it keeps me out of the house,” says Anthony.
Among the emergencies that he has been summoned to are fires at two in the morning and jackknifed tractor-trailers. As a volunteer firefighter he trains at least once a month with the training ranging from medical training to cutting people out of cars. He's also taking classes to get his EMT certification so that eventually he can work as a paid firefighter in town.
“I have always wanted to do it. It's just an amazing job. It's very demanding. There's always something different to do,” says Anthony.
Anthony has other plans too, he says, just in case. He is in his third year at Southern Connecticut State University, studying lighting and sound design and technical theater. He's following up a high school career constructing stages for the drama club.
His list of studies for his major is broad. He has to study carpentry, electricity, design, he must read scripts and understand how to build in their context, make sure the sets are safe, build rigging, operate it all during shows and break it all down in the end.
“It is hands-on,” says Anthony. “Instead of sitting behind a desk or doing paperwork you get to go out and design something and actually build it with your hands.”
He uses the knowledge he has gained in high school and in college to give back to the drama club where he started. Each year he volunteers to help out at a number of school plays and events, helping to construct and design the sets.
“Usually the high school student manager will give me a call when something's coming up or if I hear something is coming on I'll give them a call,” says Anthony. “There is always the spring and fall musicals and I'm there for those. There's a talent show coming up, too, and I will be there for that,” says Anthony.
When he's not doing any of these things, chances are Anthony is doing homework or applying what he has learned around his home, doing repairs for his parents John and Carol, or making things safer. Or he might be at his part-time job or with his friends or his girlfriend, without whom he says he couldn't get so much of what he does, done.