As an athlete, Dante Brown knows what it means to be part of a team. The All-American long jumper currently holds the record for St. Thomas Aquinas College with a jump of 24 feet and 5 inches and is an undefeated conference champion. When he’s not out on the field, Dante applies his teamwork mindset to different roles on campus.
“I originally came to STAC as a Computer Science major and ended up not liking it,” he says. “I wanted to switch to business because of its versatility and different opportunities. I chose Sports Management because I was an athlete and I felt the most comfortable with it.”
Dante remembers what it was like to be a new student and how stressful it could be, and that’s why he joined STAC’s Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) as a student mentor. The program offers both financial and educational assistance for qualifying students.
“I wanted to become a HEOP mentor because I wanted to help the incoming freshmen by providing them with advice and guidance to navigate their new college lives,” Dante says. “I was able to collaborate with my peers on the different ways we can help the freshmen in any way possible. It was engaging and exuberant.”
He is also part of the Social Justice & Equity (SJE) Forum where administrators, staff, and students work to bring awareness to STAC’s diverse student body. Being an SJE leader, Dante’s job is to represent the voices of his peers surrounding conversations in racial equality and inclusivity, while brainstorming different ways to engage with the community and take part in different activities.
Sports are an integral part of Dante’s life. He started track and field at eight years old and dreamed of becoming an Olympic athlete. While looking for an internship, he connected with his high school alma mater, Nyack High School, where he served as an assistant to the Athletic Director. Dante received hands-on experience, supervising sporting events and budgeting for the school year, and even had the opportunity to revise and implement a new logo and mascot for the entire school.
Dante is looking forward to starting the next phase of his educational journey, graduate school at STAC. It was through classes with Professor Eric Schaffer and Assistant Professors Barbara Vano and Pamela Derfus that inspired him to begin his master’s degree.
“Dante’s interest in management and insights into working with people always made the class more interesting for all,” Derfus says. “I expect he will be a great manager and leader and I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about his work experiences after he graduates.”
In five years, Dante hopes to graduate with his master’s, become a homeowner, and land his dream job as a lead business analyst for a large technology company like Google, Apple, or Microsoft. When he’s not working or studying, he unwinds by playing video games, seeing friends, and rooting for his favorite sports teams, the New England Patriots and the New York Knicks.