Alumni Spotlight: Alexander Blanco ’09

Name: Alexander Blanco ’09

Degree: Bachelor in Hospitality Management.

My work: I’m the general manager for the new Chili’s Too at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus.

My inspiration: My desire to provide the best customer service all the time has inspired me to pursue a career in the field that deals with it the most. I live for the restaurant industry because there is nothing better than amazing food in one’s stomach. If there is one main thing that brings all cultures in the world together, it is food.

My family: My family has supported me all the way in everything I have done. Even at times when I had to move to Chicago to work for a couple of years, they were happy because they knew that it was a step toward a great future for my career. My mother has been the best inspiration for me in the kitchen, which is one of the main reasons I have gotten this far at such a young age.

My proudest accomplishment: Having the opportunity to open up this new restaurant as a general manager. It has provided me with priceless experience that I can use when I am ready to open up my own restaurant in the future.

How do you bleed Blue & Gold?

I bleed Blue & Gold by being proud of graduating from FIU and constantly talking about the great education I received here. After graduating, I still keep in contact with a lot of my professors for advice and support. It is amazing that you can still reach out to them long after you have left. I love it here so much that I took a position as the housing director for Pi Kappa Alpha on campus just so I can live here.