Life could have been very different for Dustin Koff, a junior entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and economics dual major. His tattoo echoes that understanding.

From a young age, Koff knew he was adopted, though he wouldn’t learn the identity of his birth mother until he was older. When he turned 16, Koff found her on Facebook. And when it came time to start visiting colleges, Koff made a detour during his journey to visit her.

This experience is what brought him to get his tattoo: the word “lucky,” written in Hebrew.

Koff learned that he has four half siblings and that he was the only one given up for adoption. It was a life-changing realization for him to see what types of lives his half-siblings led.

“I saw what my life could have been compared to what it is now,” he said.

Koff said he planned on getting something other than the tattoo he currently has, but his adoptive mom hated the original idea. A friend told him that there was no way she would be OK with the whole idea unless the tattoo was in the “native tongue.”

Koff agreed, expressing that it would represent his culture. He let time go by, toying with the idea, and as the years passed, he decided that enough time had lapsed and he was ready to get a tattoo. After an hourlong, relatively painless visit to Merrick, N.Y., Koff’s decision was solidified. He walked out of the tattoo parlor with the word “lucky” in Hebrew cutting cleanly across his right shoulder blade.

His decision to get the tattoo in this spot makes sense, considering that Koff hopes to be a businessman in the future. He wants the tattoo to be easily hidden in a work environment. Furthermore, he doesn’t want it to be something that someone immediately notices upon meeting him.

Since getting the tattoo, he said he doesn’t have any regrets. Koff even said he wants to get more tattoos, but the only thing he’s sure about is the placement — the ribs.

“I’ve heard it’s painful, but it’s for your whole life. You only spend a few hours getting it done. At least that’s how I see it,” he said.

Having recently experienced a serious shark bite during summer, it goes without saying that Koff can handle whatever pain comes his way.

Published on September 16, 2013 at 9:47 pm

Contact Naomi: ncfalk@syr.edu