Spotlights

Student Spotlight - Giampiero Fuentes

International experiences contribute to business savvy for finance student

Giampiero Fuentes has lived in the United States for only the past five years, but he has learned English, started two businesses, hosted a local Spanish-language TV show, earned an associate's degree, and started studying finance at USF.

And that's just recently.

During his teen years in Europe, he earned a degree in electronics and multi-media from La Scuola Arti e Mestieri Trevano, one of the most prestigious technical schools in Switzerland. Through traveling, he learned to speak French and German (in addition to the Italian and Spanish he already spoke fluently). While at school in Switzerland, he captained a league-winning soccer team in one of the top divisions in Europe for players under 18.

Today, Fuentes offers marketing and media services to multilingual companies nationwide and supervises a record label he launched in 2013. The entrepreneur is working toward a business degree because he aspires to work and travel worldwide, indicating that a solid understanding of financial principles will allow him to do so. He is clearly doing well in the major: he is a 4.0 student and a member of several honor societies, including Phi Theta Kappa, Golden Key, and Phi Kappa Phi. This year, he was also named the Most Remarkable student in the College of Business "25 Under 25" recognition program.

"I feel that all of my international travel, exposure to different cultures, and career in sports has really impacted me and molded my proactive work ethic," Fuentes said. "Being able to transfer these skills into all areas of my life has really helped in my professional development and building a career in business."