Fresh Start Leads to Newfound Academic Drive
April 27, 2023
When reflecting on his academic career two weeks before graduating from UNC, Business major Dante Cesare experienced two vastly different realities in high school and in college. In high school, personal hardships made it difficult for him to see the importance of education.
“I was the worst kind of student,” Cesare said. “I really didn’t care about school, I just wanted to get out of there. I was facing addiction issues.”
Cesare said, during this time, he never felt a sense of belonging.
“I am on the autism spectrum and have struggled with mental illness all of my life, so people never counted on me for anything, they always counted me out, so to speak,” Cesare said.
He had and still does have, support from his family, even crediting his aunt, uncle and grandparents for raising him alongside his mom.
“The phrase ‘it takes a village’ may be cliché, but in my case, it is the truth, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Cesare said. “My upbringing helped make me the man I am today."
Cesare said his grandfather, who worked in construction his whole life, taught him that knowledge is power and that no one can take it away from him. But it was the encouragement of multiple professors that really turned Cesare’s education experience around. Cesare first attended Aims Community College receiving his associate degree in Business before attending UNC for his bachelor’s degree.
“I had a couple teachers at Aims named Mark Jarnot and Jennifer Markiewicz. They were probably two of the most important mentors or teachers I've ever had besides Dallas Everhart here at UNC,” Cesare said. “Basically, they all believed in me and were able to help me fall in love with education again.”
With a newfound passion for learning the next step was for Cesare to find a community or an opportunity to be part of a team amongst his peers. He knew he didn’t want to feel isolated like he did in high school, so he had to find a way to get involved at UNC, which he did through Monfort College of Business’ Entrepreneurial Challenge.
“I was in a Marketing 360 class my junior year, and two students started talking to us about the E-Challenge and why we should get involved,” Cesare said. “I found it interesting because I have always wanted to open a business or be a good businessman. But mainly, I just really wanted to be part of something.”
The E-Challenge, held every year in the spring, is an educational business pitch competition that helps participants acquire entrepreneurial skills and grow their innovative ideas. Students from UNC and Aims, as well as community members can compete and pitch their business ideas to industry judges for the chance to win monetary prizes.
Cesare quickly signed up to be part of the E-Challenge marketing team after hearing about it. The first year he was involved he wrote press releases and social media content to promote the event. This year he was bumped up to community college director, collaborating with Aims to encourage more participation.
“Since I originally came from Aims, I was able to foster a really good relationship with the staff there and resolve any conflicts and build a really amicable relationship, so I’m really proud of that,” Cesare said.
Cesare also took on the responsibility of being an MCB ambassador. He says knowing MCB’s reputation made him want to continue in higher education.
“I thought the student-to-teacher ratio would fit me really well,” Cesare said. “I really like to be able to have a relationship with my professors and throughout my time [at UNC] I’ve felt I have a good rapport with my professors and can actually joke with them.”
Feeling supported by faculty along with hands-on experience in coming up with marketing plans for local businesses throughout his courses, Cesare developed a passion for the industry and hopes to start a career in marketing after graduation.
“I want to move to Las Vegas and do relationship marketing for a casino,” Cesare said. “I want to be able to foster different relationships when it comes to the stakeholders and the customers and make sure we’re providing something unique for them to return to the business for.”
The desire to build professional relationships came from Cesare’s understanding of how fulfilling it is to have them, which he learned from his experiences in both high school and college. He has found that when he is connecting with others and persistently striving towards his goals, is when he is happiest.
“I would strongly advise future or current students to get involved,” Cesare said. “Find something you're passionate about and really make it your own. Because life is really difficult, try to make a positive out of anything negative. It’s not about what cards you are dealt, it’s about what you do with the cards.”
Cesare is the recipient of the Monfort College of Business Award and a Wells Fargo Bank Scholarship.
– written by Sydney Kern
Un nuevo comienzo lo lleva a un nuevo impulso académico
Un nuevo comienzo lo lleva a un nuevo impulso académico
Al reflexionar sobre su carrera académica dos semanas antes de graduarse en la UNC,
Dante Cesare, licenciado en Administración de Empresas, vivió dos realidades muy distintas
en la preparatoria y en la universidad. En la preparatoria, las dificultades personales
le impidieron ver la importancia de la educación.
"Yo era el peor tipo de estudiante", dice Cesare. "Realmente no me importaba la escuela,
sólo quería salir de allí. Me enfrentaba a problemas de adicción".
Cesare dijo que, durante este tiempo, nunca tuvo un sentido de pertenencia.
"Estoy en el espectro autista y he luchado contra enfermedades mentales toda mi vida,
así que la gente nunca contó conmigo para nada, siempre me descartaron, por así decirlo",
dijo Cesare.
Tuvo, y sigue teniendo, el apoyo de su familia, e incluso da crédito a su tía, su
tío y sus abuelos por criarlo junto a su madre.
"La frase 'se necesita una aldea' puede ser un cliché, pero en mi caso es la verdad,
y no me gustaría que fuera de otra manera", afirma Cesare. "Mi educación me ayudó
a convertirme en el hombre que soy hoy".
Cesare dijo que su abuelo, que trabajó en la construcción toda su vida, le enseñó
que el conocimiento es poder y que nadie puede quitárselo. Pero fue el estímulo de
varios profesores lo que realmente cambió la experiencia educativa de Cesare. Cesare
estudió primero en el Aims Community College, donde obtuvo un título de grado medio
en Administración de Empresas, antes de venir a la UNC por un título de licenciado.
"Tuve un par de profesores en Aims que se llamaban Mark Jarnot y Jennifer Markiewicz.
Probablemente fueron dos de los mentores o profesores más importantes que he tenido,
además de Dallas Everhart aquí en la UNC", dijo Cesare. "Básicamente, todos ellos
creyeron en mí y fueron capaces de ayudarme a enamorarme de nuevo de la educación".
Con una nueva pasión por el aprendizaje, el siguiente paso para Cesare era encontrar
una comunidad o una oportunidad de formar parte de un equipo entre sus compañeros.
Sabía que no quería sentirse aislado como en el instituto, así que tenía que encontrar
una forma de involucrarse en la UNC, lo que hizo a través del Desafío Empresarial
de la Escuela de Negocios Monfort.
"Estaba en una clase de Marketing 360 en mi penúltimo año y dos estudiantes empezaron
a hablarnos del E-Challenge y de por qué debíamos participar", explica Cesare. "Me
pareció interesante porque siempre he querido abrir un negocio o ser un buen empresario.
Pero, sobre todo, quería formar parte de algo".
El E-Challenge, que se celebra todos los años en primavera, es un concurso educativo
de presentación de empresas que ayuda a los participantes a adquirir aptitudes empresariales
y a hacer crecer sus ideas innovadoras. Estudiantes de la UNC y de Aims, así como
miembros de la comunidad, pueden competir y presentar sus ideas empresariales a jueces
del sector para tener la oportunidad de ganar premios en efectivo.
Cesare no tardó en inscribirse en el equipo de marketing del E-Challenge. El primer
año redactó comunicados de prensa y contenidos para las redes sociales con el fin
de promocionar el evento. Este año ha sido ascendido a director de la universidad
comunitaria, colaborando con Aims para fomentar una mayor participación.
"Como yo venía de Aims, fui capaz de fomentar una muy buena relación con su personal,
resolver cualquier conflicto y construir una relación realmente amistosa, así que
estoy muy orgulloso de ello", afirma Cesare.
Cesare también asumió la responsabilidad de ser embajador de MCB. Dice que conocer
la reputación de MCB le hizo querer continuar en la educación superior.
"Pensé que la relación estudiante-profesor me encajaría muy bien", dijo Cesare. "Me
gusta mucho poder tener una relación con mis profesores y a lo largo de mi tiempo
[en la UNC] he sentido que tengo una buena relación con mis profesores y realmente
puedo bromear con ellos".
Sintiéndose apoyado por el personal académico, junto con la experiencia práctica en
la elaboración de planes de marketing para las empresas locales a lo largo de sus
cursos, Cesare desarrolló una pasión por la industria y espera comenzar una carrera
en marketing después de la graduación.
"Quiero trasladarme a Las Vegas y dedicarme al marketing relacional en un casino",
afirma Cesare. "Quiero ser capaz de fomentar diferentes relaciones cuando se trata
de las partes interesadas y los clientes y asegurarme de que estamos proporcionando
algo único para que vuelvan al negocio".
El deseo de entablar relaciones profesionales surgió cuando Cesare comprendió lo gratificante
que es tenerlas, algo que aprendió de sus experiencias tanto en la preparatoria como
en la universidad. Ha descubierto que cuando se relaciona con los demás y se esfuerza
persistentemente por alcanzar sus objetivos, es cuando es más feliz.
"Aconsejaría encarecidamente a los estudiantes actuales y futuros que se involucraran",
afirma Cesare. "Encuentren algo que les apasione y háganlo suyo. Como la vida es muy
difícil, intenta sacar algo positivo de todo lo negativo. No se trata de las cartas
que te reparten, sino de lo que haces con ellas".
Cesare ha recibido el premio Monfort College of Business y una beca del Wells Fargo
Bank.
–escrito por Sydney Kern, traducido por Carlos José Pérez Sámano
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