Dener Dos Santos - Speaking at Fall Graduation

[Zip_ME87]

Congratulations to Zips Men's Soccer player Dener Dos Santos who is the student speaker at the Fall Graduation ceremony on Saturday, December 16, 2018 at 6 pm.

 

https://uakron.edu/graduation/index.dot

[Zip_ME87]

https://www.uakron.edu/graduation/responders/dos-santos

 

Another Magna Cum Laude graduate from the Zips Men's Soccer team

 

Class of 2017: Soccer is his love, and soon, his business

 

Dener dos Santos will be the student speaker at the Fall Commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. He is a Williams Honors Scholar graduating with bachelor’s degrees in Marketing Management and Sales Management, magna cum laude. He also has played the position of midfielder on the UA's men’s soccer team.

Hometown: Joinville, Brazil

High School: Elias Moreira, in Joinville. Dulles High School, in Houston, Texas.

 

What’s next?

I have accepted a position with Major League Soccer in which I will be trained to work in the sales department of a professional soccer club.

Q: Best advice you ever got from a professor?

A: “Every day is an interview,” from Professor Deborah Owens. I trust that throughout my years at Akron, whether that was on or off the field, I applied this advice to my routine. This definitely shaped my personality and attitude toward the different tasks and duties I had within the University. Because of that advice, I made great connections and have been mentored by great leaders within the Akron community.

Q: What’s your advice to incoming freshmen?

A: I believe that a higher education today is often taken for granted because many students expect the university to do and give for them, which in reality, is the opposite. Put yourself out of your comfort zone, whether that is joining different organizations, having job experiences, or doing research within your field of study. Having our backs against the wall and being uncomfortable is often when we learn the most, and ultimately, we will learn greatly about ourselves and eventually learn how to help and impact others’ lives

Q: What’s your ultimate career goal?

A: My ultimate career goal is to be a positive influence on the growth of soccer in the United States. I believe that there is vast room for improvement in many areas of the game and I intend to study and involve myself to an extent where I can be a leader and influence children, players, communities and the country to love the game as much as I do.

 

 

[TennZip]

Very impressive accomplishments by Dener.   His family must be very proud.  Best wishes to Dener for his job in MLS.

[Zip_ME87]

Dener's speech begins at 1:21:28.

 

 

[TennZip]

Thanks for sharing the speech and time that it starts

[Z.I.P.]

On 12/13/2017 at 6:21 AM, Zip_ME87 said:

Congratulations to Zips Men's Soccer player Dener Dos Santos who is the student speaker at the Fall Graduation ceremony on Saturday, December 16, 2018 at 6 pm.

 

https://uakron.edu/graduation/index.dot

Here's what really shocked me!:  They hold two separate graduation ceremonies?!?  How long has that been going on??  Is it due to the size of the class and facility?  Very strange!

 

Sorry, I misspoke/typed!  There are THREE ceremonies!  ?. Yikes...

Edited December 18, 2017 by Z.I.P.

[Zip_ME87]

2 hours ago, Z.I.P. said:

Here's what really shocked me!:  They hold two separate graduation ceremonies?!?  How long has that been going on??  Is it due to the size of the class and facility?  Very strange!

 

Sorry, I misspoke/typed!  There are THREE ceremonies!  ?. Yikes...

 

Yes, ZIP. They have been holding multiple ceremonies for sometime now. EJ Thomas Hall is not large enough to do otherwise. Like me, you may have graduated at the Richfield Coliseum, which is now an open field. This was Fall graduation. They could get all ceremonies done in one day. In Spring (May), there are more ceremonies spread over Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday, I believe.

[Z.I.P.]

I'm glad to know the area of the former Coliseum is now a nature reserve.  But as I recall, in 1982 they could still hold a single grad ceremony ay EJ Thomas.

[Zip_ME87]

1 hour ago, Z.I.P. said:

I'm glad to know the area of the former Coliseum is now a nature reserve.  But as I recall, in 1982 they could still hold a single grad ceremony ay EJ Thomas.

 

I don't know about 1982, but I can assure you that the crowd at Spring graduation in 1987 would have filled the performing arts hall and all of the lobbies and likely spilled out into the streets.

 

The 6 pm ceremony at EJ Thomas on December 16, 2017 was quite full. Although President Wilson and others had to go through it 3 times, the 1.5 hour ceremony resulting from multiple ceremonies was quite welcome for this attendee.