Destination Success | Michael Esposito | Watch HPU

Chapters & Transcript

0:00

Hey there, my name is Michael Esposito. I'm originally from Libertyville, Illinois. I'm a graduate of the class of 2017 with a degree in Business Administration. I'm currently the chief of staff at the American Conservation Coalition in Charlotte, North Carolina.

0:24

HPU is a very fun campus both inside the classroom and outside the classroom. There was no shortage of things to do. This campus has a lot to offer, whether it's in the form of clubs or intramural sports, and then just the surrounding area of the campus. There's just so much to do.

One of the best pieces of advice that I got was to spend as little time in your room as possible and to spend every waking minute on this campus, taking advantage of everything that it has to offer.

0:52

And so just some of the areas that really meant a lot to me, where I spent a lot of time, were in the career services building and with the team there that helped build upon my resume and make it as perfect as could be. Coaching me on interviews and really helping to lay out the landscape of opportunity that's out there while you're a student and then once you graduate.

1:12

One of the most profound experiences I had as a student here at High Point was launching the Operation KARE initiative to provide a track chair for a wounded veteran. So Operation KARE is an initiative that my fraternity chapter started when I was the president. It stands for Knowledge, Awareness, Results, and Empowerment, and the purpose of Operation KARE is to provide track chairs for catastrophically wounded veterans.

And so since 2019, Operation KARE that started on this campus has expanded to over 75 campuses with KARE chapters on college campuses across the country. And those chapters have raised over $1.3 million to provide track chairs to wounded veterans at High Point.

1:53

I had more mentors than I could count: Reverend Preston Davis, Larry Quinn in the sales department, Dr. Jim Worley in the business school, and Bridget Hull in Career Services. Each of those mentors are people that I stay in touch with to this day. They played a huge role in my professional and personal development.

Learning from people who care about you deeply and who also have the experience, it's just, it's priceless. And I could not be more grateful.

2:22

One of the things that people I work with have always been quick to point out has been my professionalism. And I think that that is something that I've developed through being at High Point, whether it was the sales program or the business school. There was always an added emphasis on professionalism, and I think that that is very unique, particularly in a college setting.

2:43

Choose to be extraordinary to me means that you are in control of your destiny. That you have to choose to improve yourself, you have to choose to challenge yourself, you have to choose to get out there and decide the direction that you want your life to go in.

Michael Esposito, a 2017 graduate of High Point University with a degree in Business Administration, shares his journey from HPU to his current role as Chief of Staff at the American Conservation Coalition. He highlights how High Point prepared him for success through its vibrant campus life, comprehensive career services, and emphasis on professionalism. Michael describes his pivotal role in launching Operation KARE, a charitable initiative that has expanded from HPU to over 75 college campuses and raised $1.3 million for wounded veterans, and reflects on the crucial mentors who shaped his professional development.

Destination Success | Michael Esposito

Destination Success | Michael Esposito

How does High Point University prepare grads for success?

What is student life like at High Point University?

How does HPU Career Services prepare you for interviews?

What is the Operation KARE initiative at HPU?

How do HPU faculty and staff mentor students?

How does High Point University teach professionalism?

What does it mean to choose to be extraordinary?