Senior Antonio Hunt strides through the halls each passing time, smiling and greeting people. “For me, I just try to talk to people, be nice to people,” Hunt said. “Some people may think I’m weird because I just upright and say ‘hello, how you doin’?’ But, you know, there’s nothing wrong with saying ‘hi’ to someone, you gotta love it!”

Hunt’s positivity is one of the most identifiable things about him. In the first five minutes we were talking, he paused three times to greet people passing.

“I choose to be that way because I think it’s best for you to not go around any place you go with a negative attitude, like negative energy around you. Because it’s just crazy, you want people to know you’re a nice person, you want to meet new people, don’t you?”

Hunt is busy balancing three jobs and extracurriculars. In his sophomore year he began working at McDonald’s, and has since added hours at Target and Binder’s Heating and Air Conditioning. His tasks at the three locations range from serving customers, to packing happy meals, to cutting sheet metal and fixing furnaces.

“It helps me to be more financially independent, it helps me to be more organized, and it helps me to help a person who is actually looking for a job,” said Hunt. “If they’re looking for a job and don’t know what to do, it’s best to teach them about certain skills that jobs offer.”

Besides the economic freedom it gives Hunt, his work also supports his family.

“I work because I’m helping my family out,” Hunt shared. With an older brother and sister in college, the responsibility of earning money to help his parents largely falls on him. “I chose to do it, my parents didn’t tell me to. I chose to help my parents get standing on a level where we could all be at ease, be a family.”

Family is a rock in Hunt’s life. His family played a key role in shaping Hunt’s positive world view. “When I see them, that’s how I became me,” he said.

“We always encourage each other. We always have family talks. We try to support each other even through bad times, like financial times, emotional times, we just tend to help each other no matter what.”

One of these bad times came recently, which shook Hunt’s positivity.

“I have been going through struggles in my life. I’ve seen my uncle who passed away from stage four cancer,” remembered Hunt.

“Even though he has passed away I just sit there and think about all of the positive times I had with him,” Hunt continued. “The great times I had with a nephew and uncle type bonding, it was really cool. And he was one of my favorite uncles. The way that I see the great times that I had with him, I like to express that with others as well.”

Recently, Hunt has turned his energy to a new source at South: theater.

“I was nervous, I thought I wouldn’t even be able to make that!” Hunt admitted, talking about auditioning for South’s spring musical, Hairspray. Despite his expectations, he did get into the show, making Hairspray Hunt’s first acting experience.

“Just being able to express yourself, like putting yourself in other peoples’ shoes. Like learning how certain struggles were, great experiences, just being that person for a day,” Hunt described his acting experience.

In fact, Hunt loved acting so much that he sees a future in it. After graduation he plans to attend Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) for part of his education through the Power of You program which will cover tuition and books. This will minimize his debt to make it possible for him to then transfer to Juilliard School, a super-elite drama school in New York. In ten years, Hunt sees himself as an actor, performing and working as a community activist.

No matter what Hunt does, or where he goes, his positive outlook will follow him.

“I help others before I help myself. I’m already doing okay, I’m doing fine. It’s just great to go around and help others who need help. They may not have the same things as you, and it’s just great to at least try to share that with them,” Hunt reflected. “I think that’s just my meaning of how I put my life. It’s very nice to me.”