By Henry Indictor
Staff Writer
For freshman Charlie Burt, overcoming obstacles has become a part of his life.
As he now begins his new journey at Sacred Heart University, he is more than determined and focused on his goals.
Burt was born without a left hand. Ever since he was a young boy, he has loved to play football-a sport that he had actively played for the past 10 years, until he graduated from Mahopac High School. Although he has stopped playing football since arriving at Sacred Heart, Burt finds that aspects of the sport has shaped his personality.
“I think the best way to describe football’s influence on my personality is through my tenacity and my ability to deny people when they deny me, and keep moving forward no matter what comes my way,” said Burt. “So if I hear a no, I then automatically think I can do what I’m being told I can’t. For sure, it’s my attitude that has put me over the top.”
Burt’s hard work and leadership paid off in December of 2016, when he was presented with the Heart of a Giant Award by former New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings.
“For the ceremony, I was asked to speak on behalf of our youth program, as well as to all the students of my high school,” said Burt. “I was told to speak to the underclassmen about overcoming adversity. To my surprise, Rashad walked out from behind the stage when I had finished talking. I was so happy, everything I had worked for was finally accomplished, and I knew it.”
Starting off college at Sacred Heart was initially an adjustment for Burt, especially in the workload he was expected to stay on top of.
College life improved for Burt when he joined the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. He felt that he has become a part of a second family.
“It’s a great group of guys, I love them. You can definitely sense our brotherhood, and that’s something that I have been looking for since football ended for me,” said Burt.
Other hobbies that Burt enjoys, include listening to music and working out at the gym.
But the activity that he takes the most pride in doing, are things like community service, where he has the opportunity to actively help others.
“I did a lot of community service work by helping kids. I used to coach my little brother’s football team, and I found they had looked up to me. It’s just good to see the impact I had on the next generation. I always loved being a leader.”
Burt knows he made the right decision by enrolling at Sacred Heart.
“I love it, it’s the perfect size for me. There are great people here, and its not too far of a distance from where I live,” said Burt.
He is currently majoring in chemistry with a plan to get his masters degree in business administration, so that he can accomplish his aspiration of becoming a pharmaceutical salesman.
“Chemistry has always intrigued me, and I have always been fascinated by nutrition, and how chemicals react in the body,” admitted Burt. “I’m the type of person who can’t sit in the lab all day, so I feel like I can get involved with it, and that would definitely make me happy.”