When freshmen first walk on the Le Moyne campus as a full-fledged student, more often than not, they are unsure of their future plans. But not Anthony Battilana.

“Ever since ninth grade, I’ve wanted to be a high school history teacher,” Battilana said. “My history teacher made me want to do it.”

Battilana is a freshman commuter from Lyncourt, a 15 minute drive from Le Moyne, with a history major and a concentration in education. Battilana decided on his dream career in high school, but it appears history has been a part of his whole life.

“My uncle was in the Navy and his dad was in the Navy, so history runs in our blood,” Battilana said. “I grew up hearing about it.”

Ultimately, though, it was his history teacher in high school that influenced him to choose history.

“I was never really interested in it,” Battilana said. “I wanted to be an elementary teacher at first. But then when I got to high school, the enthusiasm of my teacher made me love it.”

Though it doesn’t look like he’ll be changing said plan any time soon, Battilana also has a passion for vocal jazz. In fact, it’s the main reason he chose Le Moyne.

“If it wasn’t for the Jazzuits, I wouldn’t be here,” Battilana said.

Battilana is currently a member of both the Le Moyne Jazzuits and the Japan Club.

“I love Japanese culture,” said Battilana. “I want to live there for a period of time.”

However, Japan isn’t the only place Battilana dreams of living in. In fact, Battilana hopes to travel quite a bit.

“I would like to live in NYC,” Battilana said. “It’s a little dream of mine. But I’m also interested in California.”

Although Battilana lives off-campus, he’s well aware of the welcoming atmosphere at Le Moyne. If anything, commuting seems to emphasize it.

“Commuting excludes me from a lot of things,” Battilana said, “so I’ve had to make the extra effort to hang out with friends. The people are great here. I work in the dining hall, so I’m interacting with people all the time.”