Achieving success playing a varsity sport and in the classroom is difficult in college. Both require dedication and a lot of hard work. It can be challenging for many people to balance the two, and often either the sport or the schoolwork gets neglected. Herman Brito, a senior defensive end for the Trinity football squad, is a superb example of someone who not only has managed to balance his sport and his schoolwork, but excels and succeeds in both areas.
The football team voted Herman as one of two captains for the 2011 season, adding to his already-long list of accomplishments at Trinity College. Besides being the captain and a dynamic defensive end for the football team, Herman also works as a student admissions associate, writing associate, writing tutor, resident assistant, mentor at McDonough Elementary school, and teaches a writing class. With such a busy and diverse schedule, it is quite believable that some things would fall through the cracks. Herman, however, has performed spectacularly in all of these leadership positions.
Professor Cynthia Butos, who has worked closely with Herman through his work in the College’s writing center, and she attributes his great success to his sense of responsibility and his work ethic. She describes Herman as having “a strong sense of responsibility for all he takes on. If he says he will do it, he will.”
Herman believes that it is his deep involvement with different aspects of the school that help him manage his time in the first place. He said, “I like to meet new people. People that are on the football team are not the same people as in the writing center or in the classroom. You get to meet new people and learn new skills.” All these new skills he has obtained through his years of hard work and involvement will be quickly put to use in the future. Herman plans on attending law school after graduating from Trinity this spring, but only after getting some real job experience.
The work ethic and determination Herman has in the classroom is easily seen in his hard work on the football field. Football head coach Jeffrey Devanney believes that the skills Herman has developed will take him far in life.
Devanney said, “He has an inner strength that was instilled in him by his mother. He leads by example and is also a very giving person...His selflessness, positive personality, and passion to be good at everything makes him special.”
It is quite clear after speaking to both Coach Devanney and Herman himself that his mother, Maria Abreu, is largely responsible for the successful man Herman has become. The youngest of 7, Ms. Abreu has been working 2-3 jobs concurrently since high school in order to achieve her goal of putting all of her 5 children through college. Herman certainly was inspired by her strength, and inherited her hardworking spirit as well. Herman said, “(My mom) taught me to be a hard worker, and I bring that on and off the field… She gave me my work ethic.”
Recently named as a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy as college football’s top scholar athlete, Herman’s strong work ethic is admired and aspired to by his teammates and classmates. He is a role model not only for his peers and teammates, but also for his siblings. His younger brother hopes to follow in his footsteps and play football at Trinity. With all the success Herman has and will achieve, he is certainly an exemplary role model to admire.