Alumni Spotlight: Cesare Cacciapuoti, John Cabot University Class of 2014

When I graduated from the International School of Florence with an International Baccalaureate in Sciences I was not planning to study at John Cabot University, nor was I planning to continue studying in Italy. I found John Cabot when, because of various personal reasons, I made the difficult decision to stay closer to my family in Florence and Rome. To be honest I was doubtful. Many times during the weeks that preceded the beginning of my University career I worried that I would regret my last minute decision.

Today, after graduating from John Cabot University with a double Major in Economics & Finance and Business Administration, exactly three and half years after the beginning of my JCU adventure, I am confident and proud to say that if I could go back I would do it all over again, but this time without a hint of doubt. Among the reasons why are the incredible student body, the great professors, and the student life in John Cabot and in Rome. In my three and a half years at John Cabot I found out that there are hundreds of different ways to live an experience at JCU.

Thanks to the incredibly diverse student body there is no end to meeting new and interesting people and learning about new cultures. Diversity that perfectly fits the city of Rome – a global city but with a strong local culture where everyone can tailor his or her life, friends, and interests to the way that he or she wants. I have had many different friends whose accounts of their lives in Rome would be so different it would be hard to believe that they lived at few hundred meters from one another.

Student life at the University is always evolving and improving. Since I have started I have seen John Cabot almost double in size, adding activities, trips, sport teams, and facilities. I personally played for the John Cabot Soccer team, the Gladiators, through which I made a lot of good friends and had many great experiences on and off the soccer field. I also co-founded the John Cabot Investment Club with my friend Zachary Easton, a club that gave me the opportunity to develop further my passion in finance outside from the classroom. Through the Investment Club I had the opportunity to visit various financial centers and firms to prepare myself for my future work. This, however, is just an example of the continuous growth and change that makes John Cabot alive and an environment that develops continually. I was also greatly satisfied with the academics. John Cabot has always maintained a strong emphasis on the academics, also thanks to the many great professors who often take active part in student initiatives.

If I had to give some advice to future John Cabot students and graduates I would probably tell them two things. The first is that the beauty of John Cabot is that you can live it however you want to but the only way they should do so is to be an active and curious part of the student body. The second piece of advice is to start thinking of your future plans while at John Cabot so that you can use all the resources and tools that the university and the city of Rome offer to be one step ahead of others once you graduate.

Now a few months out of John Cabot, I am working on a family real estate project in Florence. I am using many skills which I improved and developed during my years at John Cabot, such as finance, public speaking, accounting, and human resources management. Meanwhile, I keep working on my future dream of being an entrepreneur in buy side finance. Very rarely there will be a direct route to your dreams, that’s why you need to follow a winding road, but make sure you always know where you want it to end up and never give yourself a limit, except for time, because that you cannot buy.

Cesare Cacciapuoti
Economics and Finance and Business Administration Double Major
JCU Graduating Class 2014
Florence, Italy