Antonio
Antonio Medrano, a rising electrical engineer at N.C. A&T embodies the principles of being better than normal through his hustling, outgoing, and fun spirit. Beyond a scholar, Tonio is the owner of Pouch GSO, a bartending business and he is a part-time DJ.
Pouch GSO became a hit in the Fall of 2021 after Antonio, better known as ISO, had a pajama party pregame and created the punch that set it off.
I made the punch and everyone you know they really liked it. They were like when can I get some more”, Antonio added. “I just started making punch and everybody loved it.”
The following semester Tonio became a DJ in the same nature. He recalls being the aux player at parties where there was no DJ; things took off from there.
“I was like ‘How can we make this better?’, I went and bought a mixer and just started DJing the house parties that we were throwing and then you know, it just kept elevating”.
“Elevating”, was the perfect term for Antonio’s endeavors and leads to the purpose of Flier Attire, to inspire the elevation of others. Antonio’s approach to being “Better than Normal” in the black community was food for thought.
“We should get rid of stuff around Sneaky Link culture, especially at A&T nobody really wants to settle down”, Antonio expresses. “I feel like we should just break that stigma”.
Sneaky link culture is essentially the glorification of secret relations with people and it has been controversial for its toxic effects. While sneaky link culture is not exclusive to black culture, it plays a role in harrowing statistics of declining marriage rates among black people.
Antonio has his own approach to combatting the stigma of unhealthy relationships in his community:
“Me personally, if I’m talking to somebody, I always make sure to just openly communicate, to be honest, and… make sure that boundaries and standards are set and try to be you know, different from everybody else.”
Needless to say, Iso is an innovator and go-getter and he credits his confidence in a business to his Mother. As his #1 supporter, she helped him get his first DJ gig in his hometown Tappahannock, Virginia. After receiving positive feedback, he knew if he could do it for them, he could do it at A&T.
Flier is what Antonio is and he gave this advice for anybody who may be in need of elevating themselves:
“Take it one step at a time, because if you try to take everything on at once it might be overwhelming… Go step by step and do the little things that matter.”
You can find Antonio @antonio.iso & @pouchgso on Instagram for bookings and purchases from his business.
