Fresh Start Leads to Newfound Academic Drive

Dante Cesare smiling inside the Monfort College of Business building

Monfort College of Business

Fresh Start Leads to Newfound Academic Drive

Un nuevo comienzo conduce a un nuevo impulso acad茅mico

After experiencing hardship in high school, multiple professors helped Business major Dante Cesare fall in love with education again 鈥揟ambi茅n en espa帽ol.

April 27, 2023

When reflecting on his academic career two weeks before graduating from 麻豆传媒, 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.

鈥淚 was the worst kind of student,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 care about school, I just wanted to get out of there. I was facing addiction issues.鈥�

Cesare said, during this time, he never felt a sense of belonging.

鈥淚 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,鈥� 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.

鈥淭he phrase 鈥榠t takes a village鈥� may be clich茅, but in my case, it is the truth, and I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淢y 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鈥檚 education experience around. Cesare first attended Aims Community College receiving his associate degree in Business before attending 麻豆传媒 for his bachelor鈥檚 degree.

鈥淚 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 麻豆传媒,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淏asically, they all believed in me and were able to help me fall in love with education again.鈥�

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鈥檛 want to feel isolated like he did in high school, so he had to find a way to get involved at 麻豆传媒, which he did through

鈥淚 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,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

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 麻豆传媒 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.

鈥淪ince 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鈥檓 really proud of that,鈥� Cesare said.

Cesare also took on the responsibility of being an MCB ambassador. He says knowing MCB鈥檚 reputation made him want to continue in higher education.

鈥淚 thought the student-to-teacher ratio would fit me really well,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淚 really like to be able to have a relationship with my professors and throughout my time [at 麻豆传媒] I鈥檝e felt I have a good rapport with my professors and can actually joke with them.鈥�

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.

鈥淚 want to move to Las Vegas and do relationship marketing for a casino,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淚 want to be able to foster different relationships when it comes to the stakeholders and the customers and make sure we鈥檙e providing something unique for them to return to the business for.鈥�

The desire to build professional relationships came from Cesare鈥檚 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.

鈥淚 would strongly advise future or current students to get involved,鈥� Cesare said. 鈥淔ind 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鈥檚 not about what cards you are dealt, it鈥檚 about what you do with the cards.鈥�

Cesare is the recipient of the Monfort College of Business Award and a Wells Fargo Bank Scholarship.

鈥� written by Sydney Kern

Nikaiya Lawson

For Nikaiya Lawson, an Art and Design student graduating from 麻豆传媒 this spring, art is a safe place. After a suicide attempt at age 14, it has been the space where she finds meaning and can freely express her identity without limits.

Dakota Baer

Education major Dakota Baer's goal was to graduate with no student loan debt. She was on track to meet this goal until her last semester when she had to student teach full-time without being paid.

Un nuevo comienzo lo lleva a un nuevo impulso acad茅mico

Al reflexionar sobre su carrera acad茅mica dos semanas antes de graduarse en la 麻豆传媒, Dante Cesare, licenciado en Administraci贸n de Empresas, vivi贸 dos realidades muy distintas en la preparatoria y en la universidad. En la preparatoria, las dificultades personales le impidieron ver la importancia de la educaci贸n.
"Yo era el peor tipo de estudiante", dice Cesare. "Realmente no me importaba la escuela, s贸lo quer铆a salir de all铆. Me enfrentaba a problemas de adicci贸n".
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, as铆 que la gente nunca cont贸 conmigo para nada, siempre me descartaron, por as铆 decirlo", dijo Cesare.
Tuvo, y sigue teniendo, el apoyo de su familia, e incluso da cr茅dito a su t铆a, su t铆o y sus abuelos por criarlo junto a su madre.
"La frase 'se necesita una aldea' puede ser un clich茅, pero en mi caso es la verdad, y no me gustar铆a que fuera de otra manera", afirma Cesare. "Mi educaci贸n me ayud贸 a convertirme en el hombre que soy hoy".
Cesare dijo que su abuelo, que trabaj贸 en la construcci贸n toda su vida, le ense帽贸 que el conocimiento es poder y que nadie puede quit谩rselo. Pero fue el est铆mulo de varios profesores lo que realmente cambi贸 la experiencia educativa de Cesare. Cesare estudi贸 primero en el Aims Community College, donde obtuvo un t铆tulo de grado medio en Administraci贸n de Empresas, antes de venir a la 麻豆传媒 por un t铆tulo 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 m谩s importantes que he tenido, adem谩s de Dallas Everhart aqu铆 en la 麻豆传媒", dijo Cesare. "B谩sicamente, todos ellos creyeron en m铆 y fueron capaces de ayudarme a enamorarme de nuevo de la educaci贸n".
Con una nueva pasi贸n por el aprendizaje, el siguiente paso para Cesare era encontrar una comunidad o una oportunidad de formar parte de un equipo entre sus compa帽eros. Sab铆a que no quer铆a sentirse aislado como en el instituto, as铆 que ten铆a que encontrar una forma de involucrarse en la 麻豆传媒, lo que hizo a trav茅s del Desaf铆o Empresarial de la Escuela de Negocios Monfort.
"Estaba en una clase de Marketing 360 en mi pen煤ltimo a帽o y dos estudiantes empezaron a hablarnos del E-Challenge y de por qu茅 deb铆amos participar", explica Cesare. "Me pareci贸 interesante porque siempre he querido abrir un negocio o ser un buen empresario. Pero, sobre todo, quer铆a formar parte de algo".
El E-Challenge, que se celebra todos los a帽os en primavera, es un concurso educativo de presentaci贸n de empresas que ayuda a los participantes a adquirir aptitudes empresariales y a hacer crecer sus ideas innovadoras. Estudiantes de la 麻豆传媒 y de Aims, as铆 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 tard贸 en inscribirse en el equipo de marketing del E-Challenge. El primer a帽o redact贸 comunicados de prensa y contenidos para las redes sociales con el fin de promocionar el evento. Este a帽o ha sido ascendido a director de la universidad comunitaria, colaborando con Aims para fomentar una mayor participaci贸n.
"Como yo ven铆a de Aims, fui capaz de fomentar una muy buena relaci贸n con su personal, resolver cualquier conflicto y construir una relaci贸n realmente amistosa, as铆 que estoy muy orgulloso de ello", afirma Cesare.
Cesare tambi茅n asumi贸 la responsabilidad de ser embajador de MCB. Dice que conocer la reputaci贸n de MCB le hizo querer continuar en la educaci贸n superior.
"Pens茅 que la relaci贸n estudiante-profesor me encajar铆a muy bien", dijo Cesare. "Me gusta mucho poder tener una relaci贸n con mis profesores y a lo largo de mi tiempo [en la 麻豆传媒] he sentido que tengo una buena relaci贸n con mis profesores y realmente puedo bromear con ellos".
Sinti茅ndose apoyado por el personal acad茅mico, junto con la experiencia pr谩ctica en la elaboraci贸n de planes de marketing para las empresas locales a lo largo de sus cursos, Cesare desarroll贸 una pasi贸n por la industria y espera comenzar una carrera en marketing despu茅s de la graduaci贸n.
"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 煤nico para que vuelvan al negocio".
El deseo de entablar relaciones profesionales surgi贸 cuando Cesare comprendi贸 lo gratificante que es tenerlas, algo que aprendi贸 de sus experiencias tanto en la preparatoria como en la universidad. Ha descubierto que cuando se relaciona con los dem谩s y se esfuerza persistentemente por alcanzar sus objetivos, es cuando es m谩s feliz.
"Aconsejar铆a encarecidamente a los estudiantes actuales y futuros que se involucraran", afirma Cesare. "Encuentren algo que les apasione y h谩ganlo suyo. Como la vida es muy dif铆cil, 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.

鈥揺scrito por Sydney Kern, traducido por

麻豆传媒