It’s Possible to Pursue a Dream in this Country
October 21, 2007
Justin Sailor (BA ’06 Advertising, Sociology), known by the nickname Bugsy, returned to MSU this September with a better understanding of his own country after a year of touring the United States.
As an undergraduate student, Sailor’s professors and advisors encouraged him to study abroad, and in the summer of 2004, he took their advice. Traveling to England, Scotland and the Czech Republic on the Photo communication in the UK and the Czech Republic study abroad, Sailor was introduced to a broad range of cultures which inspired him to explore his own in the U.S.
“I told myself nobody ever tells you to visit your own country, they always say go abroad, and this country’s so big and vast and I told myself, before I go abroad again, I want to make a point to see my own country. And why not do it big?”
And with that, Sailor’s Hometown Invasion Tour began. His plan was to visit all 50 states in approximately 50 weeks by car. The idea really blossomed in the summer of 2006, when he wrote a sponsorship proposal and initiated fundraising for the one-year road trip across the U.S.
Sailor’s interest in web design and photography led to the creation of his own website, http://www.hometowninvasion.com, which was initially used to accumulate funding. The site now features stories from Sailor’s trip, photographs from across the country, and a blog which Sailor updated daily during the tour.
Sailor traveled the roads in style in a 2007 Jeep Compass which the Chrysler Corporation donated to him for the use of the trip. The dominant Hometown Invasion logo on the doors and hood make this Jeep one of a kind, and the attention it drew launched Sailor into the advertising industry, as he trekked across the continental U.S. spreading the Jeep name.
“A lot of the time when I was filling up gas or in the parking lot, it always drew somebody asking questions, and without that, there are a lot of people I wouldn’t have met, because so many people approached me.”
Sailor used his skills in promotion and advertising to find volunteers to stay with as he traveled. Some of his hosts were fellow Spartans, and he says MSU played a significant role during his trip.
“I could get in touch with the MSU community, and I knew there was a connection,” Sailor says.
Richard Cole, the chair of the Advertising department says he was impressed by the positive impact Sailor had upon the families he stayed with.
“I didn’t realize until Bugsy was done with the trip, how many people would say he changed their lives. He inspired us all to understand that you can, in fact, achieve what you can conceive,” Cole said.
Sailor says the moral support he received from the University was important to his success.
“A lot of people in the advertising department and sociology department embraced it and kind of spread the word for me and were always very supportive,” he said.
Sailor said graduating from a recognizable school initiated several conversations revolving around MSU.
“When people asked about Michigan State I tried to present it well. I was putting in a good word for the university.”
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