For Rowan College at Burlington County alum Felix Agosto, there’s a meaning behind everything and a journey behind every piece of art. Agosto’s journey involves many twists and turns, beginning in New Jersey and continuing to Pennsylvania. His story is one of coping through art, experience and growth. Even through a virtual meeting, Agosto exudes a cool confidence. He speaks with thoughtful introspection, often pausing to connect details and experiences while telling his story. 

“Storytelling is such a powerful medium to create empathy and understanding,” Agosto emphasizes. “Everything I do is about storytelling.”

And, Agosto, of Eastampton, does a lot. He previously studied entertainment technologies at RCBC, but he’s done everything from repurposing a crutch into an electric guitar (before he learned how to play the guitar) to creating an “irony” helicopter (which earned him a job -- more on that later) to editing a podcast series (Those Boys on the Hill) about two brothers who are writing a book covering their time growing up in the foster care system. At first reluctant to attend college, Agosto credits his father with encouraging him to enroll. 

“I was in a stage where I was procrastinating a little bit, and he came to my mother’s house one day, and he said ‘you’re going to college.’ I’m glad he did that because it put me on the fast track for developing as a person,” Agosto recalled. “Something I've always talked about was how great of a time I had at RCBC because I think the staff do a good job of making everyone feel included. The events were always my favorite thing. You walk outside of class, and there was always something going on -- a bouncy house, goat yoga, etc. It was very nice to see that because I didn’t have that image of college in my head. It just felt like a community. That’s what I feel like is very present in those events -- you could tell people really care.”

When COVID hit, Agosto focused his attention on both building his art brand Hypno Rift and securing full-time work. The latter landed him a position matching his skillset in an ideal work environment. But how he got there is one of the most compelling parts of the story. 

“I applied for a printer/operator position at Adaptive Textiles, not knowing anything about the textile industry or printing process,” Agosto recalled. “I was just looking for a job. The application process required you to submit something you created or organized within the last year, so I sent them my YouTube channel, where I had some of my sculptures posted.

Turns out, Adaptive Textiles saw the videos and loved them.

“I got a call from Jeanelle, the woman who would eventually become my boss, and she said ‘Your videos have really been making the rounds around the office. Did you ever think your irony helicopter (an iron fitted with a dishwasher propeller and a fan motor) would get you a job?’ I was absolutely ecstatic to hear that because I did not think that would ever happen,” Agosto said. “It’s a good thing that I posted it to my YouTube channel because it opened up a crazy door for me. Even though I wasn't right for the position I initially applied for, she saw my multimedia skills, my internships with WHYY and Comcast, and she ended up creating a position for me as a multimedia technician for one of their brands, The Workroom Channel, which provides online education for sewing professionals.”

Since beginning his position at Adaptive Textiles, Agosto has flourished, both professionally and personally. Recently, he completed a stint at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, where he co-led a crew of eight high school students doing restoration projects for the organization Mobilize Green. 

“I’ve never really been in that mentoring role before, so it was really great to get out there,” Agosto said. “It also really opened my eyes to see the ways that environmental injustices affect different groups of people depending upon where they live and how they look.”

He also continues to work toward his degree -- this time at Delaware County Community College. Agosto’s passion project, however, is his art brand Hypno Rift, a cohesive platform that allows him to present all of his work in one place. He plans to turn Hypno Rift into a business by collaborating with other artists to share their stories and his own.

“What’s really important to me is creative space; for me, it is like this hypnotic, trance-like other world when you’re in there and you’re creating as an artist,” Agosto said. “Of all the things I've been through (like breaking free of a gaslighting relationship during the pandemic), if I can help just one person by telling my story and sharing my art, then none of it was in vain. There’s nothing that I've done that you can't do too, and I think it's important that we all remember how strong we really are.”

To learn more about Hypno Rift, click here. To get started on your RCBC art degree, click here.