Owning Your Path and Building a Community: The Story of MJ Torres & MGCA I Published November 26

By Veronica Vila 

MJ Torres’ early years were filled with constant moving between the US and Mexico, as she continuously tried to adapt to new languages, school systems, and cultures. 

Today, the charismatic Torres is a busy junior at Kean University majoring in industrial design, and serving as both captain of the women’s tennis team and founder of the Michael Graves College Association (MGCA) — a new student-led club that promotes collaboration, inclusivity, and representation.   

Born and raised in Mexico, Torres first moved to the United States at the age of five when her father pursued a PhD at Kansas State University.  Her town back then was predominantly white and Republican, which required a degree of cultural adaptation. 

Four years later, her family returned to Mexico, driven by her parents’ wish to immerse their children in their cultural roots.  

“My parents wanted me and my siblings to have more of a cultural identity,” said Torres. 

Life back in Mexico was exciting and welcoming but also challenging. 

Nine-year-old Torres had a limited four-year-old’s Spanish vocabulary and was constantly trying to catch up with her classmates.  

 Her determination back then helped her overcome re-adaptation challenges – without knowing that five years later, she would have to do it all over again.  

“I remember how hard it was for me to leave my house in Mexico,” Torres recalls, “it was the first house that felt like home to me.” 

Adapting to her new reality was “brutal.” This second time in the U.S., Torres not only needed to catch up with language levels and a new school, now she also fought against anxiety and the pressures of adolescence. 

 “In high school, I compared myself to others, but knowing that my story was different helped me to ground myself,” she reflected. “I was lucky. My parents were huge on mental health and took time to check how me and my siblings were feeling.” 

Torres’  also turned to her loyal outlet: tennis, where her competitive spirit pushes her to overcome challenges. 

“When anxiety kicks in, I stop and ground myself,” she said. “I imagine winning. You have to tell yourself every day that there’s something out there made for you, and you’re going to get it.” 

  Her dynamic journey, combined with family support, helped Torres find industrial design.  

Though Kean University wasn’t her first option, she considers it a “hidden gem” — mostly overlooked by big-name schools. 

“When I toured the campus, [my Dad and I] found MGC’s Dean and Chairperson,” Torres recollected., “I asked them about the program, and they sold it!” 

The small class size and personalized support convinced her to enroll, as she quickly connected with her coursework and athletic responsibilities— as a sophomore, she became the tennis team captain and decided to build a supportive, collaborative network among MGC’s students. 

Growing up in predominantly white environments, Torres claims she was “pretty whitewashed.” Faced with Kean’s diversity, the thing that once had made her feel special now made her feel “ordinary.” 

“Kean made me realize how my internalized racism behaved, especially with my own culture,” Torres admits, “I always say: Kean healed me!” 

After realizing MGC students lacked common ground for sharing projects, ideas, and inspirations across the Michael Graves College disciplines, the desire for community gave MGCA a place to be born. 

“Designing a product is like designing a community,” Torres explains, “You’re building for an audience need.” 

Torres has put together a team of self-motivated MGC students to foster an interdisciplinary, equitable, and inclusive space for creative expression and professional development. 

Though her vision was bold, the club’s beginnings were humble. Torres’ close friend Gabriele Santos, MGCA’s co-vice president and event coordinator, recalls initial struggles to find the perfect advisor and Torres’ determination to make it happen. 

“Denise Anderson, our current advisor, told us no in the beginning,” Santos confesses, “But MJ was so persistent with a vision that you just couldn’t say not to.” 

Still, Torres said, “Nothing looks like what I imagined it was going to be like,” she continued, “Sometimes I’m like, ‘I hate this, I hate this, I hate this,’ but it’s my pursuit of greatness talking.” 

Through consistent effort, the MGCA team began to establish a presence on campus among design students. Today, MJ and her team host events like “Social Sunday” and panel discussions, as well as the 5 Stars Magazine, to be published in late November, a platform celebrating student work and amplifying student voices within the design industry. 

Torres’ vision and goals for MGCA don’t stop with creating a supportive network for professional development. Her ambitions extend to researching and reshaping how Black Indigenous and People Of Color (BIPOC) individuals are represented in design. 

Additionally, she aims to use the club as a resource for her senior seminar research project and dreams of presenting it at the famed MIT’s MATLAB, which is widely recognized for its research projects in STEM fields like engineering, math, science, and technology. 

Giovanna Marques, MGCA’s public relations manager and graphic design representative, described Torres as motivated and organized, noting that she implemented a Google Doc planner and a Miro board that the e-board uses as a virtual office. 

“MJ taught me a mindset of ‘if you want to do something, you gotta do it,’” said Marques.  “She is very resilient and taught me how to go about being a student, speaking up professionally, and establishing professional connections.” 

For Torresr, Kean has been a ride of self-discovery, empowerment, and the creation of a community that likely will shape Kean University and the field of design for years to come.  

“I love my homework. I love what I do.” 

---