Jon ZilinskiMax Tran: 3rd year Business
Gateway: What are the three most important things for you to be happy?
Max: I’d say friends for sure. It’s just that a good group of people definitely helps to be happy. Hmm… Let’s see. This is a weird one, but weather. If the weather is bad, like if it’s rainy, then okay it’s time for bed. But sunny weather, that’s like the happiest thing in the morning and when you wake up you know it’s going to be a good day. Third one, that’s a tough one. I’d say your general mindset of being happy all the time and trying not to let things get to you.
Gateway: What is the most recent thing that made you happy?
Max: You guys coming here actually! It was such a huge surprise. Because I saw you looking at me, so I’m like uhh… What’s going on? Maybe I should look back at my phone! Then I was like okay I thought this was pretty cool.
Gateway: If you had the opportunity to make someone happy, who would you choose?
Max: I’d have to say my dad because he is a workaholic. He works two jobs, literally his day starts at 7 a.m. and he comes home at 10 p.m. He just works his butt off. Just to see him smile would be great because he always looks tired. It kinda sucks because for days that I have night class, it is really the only times I get to see him. When I come home late, he would still be up.
Gateway: What’re your thoughts on “money buying happiness”?
Max: I can’t really say money doesn’t buy happiness. I’m not the richest kid in the world and I think I’m pretty happy. It’s just some people kind of buy into the idea that money buys happiness because you always want things, everybody wants things, and money is usually the way to get what you want. People get confused that when you get your wants is what makes you happy.
Gateway: There tends to be a lot of negativity in this world now, what do you think there is to be happy about?
Max: That’s a big question. I don’t even know if I can answer that question. I don’t know really, I’m just trying to think what makes me happy on a day-to-day basis. Well, I am a really big people person so I love talking to people. I think the base thing to be happy about is kind of the people you have around or the relationships you have. That’s what gets me up in the morning, like “I get to go to school and talk to my friends.” It would definitely be a lot worse if I had no friends coming to school. It would feel a little lonely.
