As a peer mentor with 性视界传媒鈥檚 First-Year Experience program, James Sarmiento often worked with students trying to balance school, work, finances, and uncertainty about what came next. In many ways, the advice he gave students was the same advice he wished he could have given himself a few years earlier.
鈥淎t one point, I was working three jobs while going to school full time,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 knew what it felt like to constantly feel behind.鈥
During the week, he worked as a peer mentor at Lee Business School. At night, he worked in the service industry, and when he wasn鈥檛 in class, he worked as a client care manager with a local real estate agent 鈥 all while carrying a full-time course load.
For a while, he made it work. Then one night, he realized he couldn鈥檛 keep going.
The next day, he quit one of his jobs.
鈥淭rying to hold everything at once wasn鈥檛 sustainable,鈥 he said.
That period forced him to become more intentional with his time, energy, and goals. Around the same time, he became involved with 性视界传媒鈥檚 , where he found direction in an industry he hadn鈥檛 originally planned to pursue. What started as an opportunity to gain experience eventually became a professional pathway.
Through the center, Sarmiento began building relationships with faculty, alumni, and industry leaders while developing skills outside the classroom. One of those opportunities came when John Starkey, associate director of the Kerestesi Center, asked him to help present to the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation.
It was a room he never imagined himself in when he first started college. The presentation helped secure $650,000 in scholarship funding for students in the insurance and risk management program.
鈥淪cholarships played a big role in my own journey,鈥 Sarmiento said. 鈥淚 wanted to help create that for someone else.鈥
His understanding of financial instability started long before college. Sarmiento said his work ethic was shaped in part by his upbringing in the Philippines and by what his family experienced during the 2008 financial crisis.
鈥淢y family lost almost everything after the 2008 stock market crash,鈥 he said. 鈥淎fter that, my mom always pushed me to work hard and get good grades so we鈥檇 never end up in that situation again."
Financial aid and scholarships helped him remain enrolled during some of his most difficult semesters, which made the work feel personal. 鈥淚 know what it鈥檚 like to need that help,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f I could be part of making that easier for someone else, I wanted to do it.鈥
Starkey said one of the biggest changes he saw in Sarmiento was not just how hard he worked, but how he learned to focus his energy. 鈥淲hen I first met James, he was trying to take on as much as he could,鈥 Starkey said. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 really have a choice. But over time, he became more thoughtful about where he put his energy.鈥
Those connections eventually carried into his career.
Sarmiento interned at Cragin & Pike, where he worked closely with Lee Business School alumnus Hector Cervantes, 鈥21 BSBA Finance. Cervantes later connected him with fellow Lee Business School alumna Feada Kakish, 鈥22 BSBA Finance, at Aon, helping open the door to the next step in his career.
Cervantes said Sarmiento stood out because of his ability to adapt and push himself beyond his comfort zone.
鈥淭he insurance industry moves fast, and James was always willing to challenge himself and keep up with the pace,鈥 Cervantes said. 鈥淗e showed up with a positive attitude, paid attention to details, and handled pressure well. Those are the kinds of skills that translate naturally into client-facing work.鈥
Cervantes said Sarmiento鈥檚 work ethic and willingness to grow professionally made him someone people wanted to invest in.
鈥淎 lot of technical skills can be taught,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hat stood out about James was his adaptability, communication skills, and willingness to keep learning.鈥
This spring, Sarmiento will graduate from Lee Business School with a degree in finance, the Kerestesi Legacy Award, and a full-time offer from in Los Angeles, where he will work as an associate broker.
Looking back, Sarmiento said his younger self probably would not have imagined where he would end up.
鈥淚 think 18-year-old me would look at everything I鈥檓 doing now and feel overwhelmed,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut I think he鈥檇 be proud.鈥