From Houston to Amherst

Leaving for college is a massive transition for everyone, especially when you go across the country like Justin Estabillo, a student at University of Massachusetts Amherst. He admitted that the idea of leaving his hometown of Houston, Texas, was “really nerve-racking, I was out of state and could not see my parents every weekend.” However, he still felt the need to expand his horizons and trade a laid-back Southern lifestyle for the fast-paced excitement of the Northeast. So Justin took a leap of faith and chose to study architecture 1,800 miles away from his hometown.

Almost immediately, many of Justin’s concerns about college vanished. He “made some friends quickly,” inside and out of class, and found out, “everyone here is pretty friendly, especially freshman year.” In class, he took many introductory art classes where he was placed into small groups of students with similar interests. In his free time, Justin expanded his interests by joining clubs such as Ultimate Frisbee  and the Filipino Student Association, which “helped me to learn more about where my roots come from and enhance my college experience.” 

Another significant experience for Justin was joining Sigma Chi Fraternity, which he calls “one of the best brotherhoods on campus.” He cites Greek Life at UMass as not only a way to build lifelong friendships but also a way to gain leadership skills. Fraternities and sororities have many leadership opportunities within them, and Justin took full advantage by becoming the president of the Interfraternity Council. In this role, he met people from all over the campus and positively guided the social landscape of the university.

Academically, Justin feels that UMass is a great fit for him, as its architecture program “allows a lot of leeway and more time and space for you to find your other interests and other majors or get another minor.” He used this leeway and is also pursuing a minor in economics so that he may maximize his potential.

Although things were scary at first for Justin, he is satisfied with how he fits in around UMass. From his friends to his studies, he claims UMass has “been one of the best choices I’ve made so far. Looking back, I don’t think I would have made any other choice.”