When Tristan Greenidge was growing up in Ontario, Canada, he had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. Although his vision for his future has changed a bit since then, his love of soccer led him to the States to study and play on the Men’s Varsity Soccer Team at St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Tristan, a marketing major, says he also chose STAC to be close to New York City and experience life in the United States. So far, he’s discovered that, with the exception of a few cultural differences, living stateside is very similar to life in Milton, Ontario.
“I chose STAC because of the location and because the team has lots of internationals,” he says. “I like the diversity of New York as it reminds me of home. There is always something going on in New York!”
Tristan’s favorite things about STAC are the people, the sports and athletic community, and the assistance the college provides in helping students obtain jobs during and after school.
To that end, Tristan is currently interning in STAC’s marketing department, an experience that is helping him develop new skills, giving him a glimpse of what a career in the field might look like, and sparking his interest in market research.
Although he doesn’t know what career path he will pursue when he graduates in 2025, Tristan imagines that it will be related in some way to sports which have always been his passion. His love of soccer started in childhood when he began playing the sport at four years old. “Being in the sports industry would be awesome,” he says.
In his free time, Tristan enjoys playing and watching sports, naturally soccer—his favorite team is Manchester United—as well as basketball and volleyball. He also likes watching movies and TV shows and says he’s recently developed an interest in sneakers, particularly Air Jordans. During summer breaks, Tristan has volunteered as a coach and held jobs in food service and at a summer camp back in Ontario.
The native Canadian has traveled to 15 countries, and his favorites are South Africa, Thailand, and Portugal which stood out because of the eclectic cuisine and cultures. Tristan hopes to visit Colombia and Brazil in the future because he hasn’t yet experienced South America. One of his most memorable travel experiences was going on a safari and seeing animals in their natural habitat.
Tristan’s family includes his parents, who he says are his “greatest role models,” his younger brother, and his dog Bella. “We love to travel, try new things together, and play sports.”