Posted on December 4, 2022 by Rebekah Alegria
Dominic Pastucci is no stranger to the Alamodome. As a former offensive tackle for the UTSA football team, Pastucci spent his undergraduate years dominating foes on the field with the back-to-back conference championship-winning Roadrunners.
The next time he’ll be in the Alamodome he’ll be receiving his Master of Science in Business degree during UTSA’s fall commencement. After finding his passion for leading and business within the football program, Pastucci looks ahead to a bright future with immense gratitude for UTSA and all that it has given him.
Why did you choose UTSA?
In high school, I had multiple offers to play college football. I chose UTSA because I lived right in Austin, and it was the perfect distance for me to come here and be my own person without the help of my parents. But also, I could say, “Mom, I miss your cooking. Can I come home real quick?”
What did you get your undergraduate degree in?
My undergrad was in kinesiology because my first goal was to be a personal trainer. I want to own my own gym. That’s why I chose to get my master’s in business . Because I know kinesiology and the business side of things, it goes hand in hand with owning a gym.
What made you decide to stay and pursue graduate school at UTSA?
I had my life here, a job and my friends here. So, I thought it was perfect to do my master’s here. I know the school already. I know the professors, and I have connections so if I don’t know something I can ask someone for help. Going from a kinesiology undergrad to a business master’s was a huge transition. My first semester I had some buddies in my class, and I told them straight up, “I’m from a kinesiology undergrad, can you guys help me out a little bit?” They would stay after class, or I’d go over to their place, and they would tutor me a lot, and that is where I learned the basics of business school.
PC: Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics
During your time at UTSA, what organizations have you been involved with?
I’ve been involved with the football program since I got here in 2017 until last season. While I was a player, I was selected as a team captain multiple times. I was also a part of the leadership council where I was the spokesperson for my specific position group, the offensive line.
The best thing about football was the strict schedule that came with it. They molded me into the best person I could be. It taught me many things like if you‘re five minutes early, that means you’re 15 minutes late, so always be early no matter what. Football taught me how to be a man, going through hard times and the hard stuff we did on and off the field. And of course, time management. Having to go to football and class and effectively managing both gave me a good hold on time management.
What made you choose to get your Master of Science in Business at the Carlos Alvarez College of Business?
I chose my major because it’s business. In today’s age, everything has something to do with business. Mastering something that has to do with everything is something that I want to incorporate into my life. This degree will help me get there.
What have been some of your proudest accomplishments during your time at UTSA?
My proudest accomplishment is making the Dean’s List twice. If you were to ask any of my friends in high school if they thought I would be on the Dean’s List in college, they’d give you a hard no. So, when I got that first letter my parents didn't believe me. They thought I photo shopped it. I was like, no, I swear it’s the real deal! It has been a huge accomplishment for me. It made me realize that I can do it.
Another accomplishment I’m proud of is being a part of a growing football program. Going from a team that wasn’t doing too well to being a part of a championship-winning program was more than I could ever ask for.
What is your favorite thing about being a Roadrunner? What will you miss?
My favorite thing about being a Roadrunner is 100% the atmosphere, the colors, the diversity. You can walk across campus and everyone’s different. No one’s the exact same. Also, I love the size of the campus because it is so walkable! The culture of the university is unlike any other.
Out of everything I will miss, I will miss the JPL the most. You have the library levels, all the food choices, snacks you can take, everything. So, when you’re cramming for a test, you can go down, grab, bite to eat and go back up. I’ve had a lot of good late-night memories there, too.
What advice do you have for current business students and incoming freshmen?
The greatest piece of advice I can give would have to be to keep your notes no matter what. Even after your class is done and the semester’s over. I know it feels so good to dump everything in the trash can. Don’t do that. You will need all those notes going through your degree because your professors are going to expect you to know everything in the next class. So, it’s always good to have those notes to study with.
— Rebekah Alegria
