Career Cheat Code
Welcome to Career Cheat Code, a podcast that explores the stories of everyday people making an impact in the world through their careers and loving every minute of it. Whether you're already on your path or searching for your purpose, this podcast is for you.
Join us every Monday as we uncover the secrets behind successful careers and inspire you to make your own mark. Formerly known as Thank God It's Monday | TGIM, don't forget to subscribe for updates and share with your friends!
Career Cheat Code
084 | Finding The Right Stage with Antonio Aponte
We trace Antonio Aponte's path from Broadway actor to creative educator—and how finding the right match can mean more than chasing a big name when guiding first-gen families toward college and career success. This episode dives deep into what real opportunity looks like, from choosing the right school to unlocking financial aid, internships, and alternative career paths.
In this episode, we cover:
• Aligning students with schools that fit their goals and support systems
• Demystifying financial aid, scholarships, and affordability
• Trades and certifications as lucrative, fulfilling options
• Lessons from theater—presence, listening, and persistence
• Building social capital through mentors and alumni networks
• The SUNY Purchase pilot that boosted student retention
• Internship experiences that became long-term careers
• The story behind the Latino College Expo: how it started and where it’s headed
• Navigating post-pandemic education and virtual opportunities
• “Cheat codes” for early-career growth and confidence
🎧 Tune in, take notes, and get inspired.
Please like, rate, and subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you’re using, and share this podcast with your friends and your networks
Make sure you follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Career Cheat Code and tell us people or careers you would like to see highlighted!
Disclaimer:
The views shared on Career Cheat Code are those of the guests and don’t reflect the host or any affiliated organizations. This podcast is for inspiration and information, highlighting unique career journeys to help you define success and take your next step.
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, rate, and subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you’re using, and share this podcast with your friends and your networks. For more #CareerCheatCode, visit linktr.ee/careercheatcode.
Host - Radhy Miranda
LinkedIn
Instagram
Producer - Gary Batista
LinkedIn
Instagram
To watch on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on LinkedIn
So many artists have come out of the Lower East Side, so many great writers, great musicians, great poets. It's really rich with creativity. I don't know. I think it was in the air, but it was my calling. It was my spirit. It still is my spirit to be creative. And I decided to uh pursue that and went through the whole journey of uh wading and bartending and then finally getting a big break on Broadway.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome to Career Cheat Code. In this podcast, you'll hear how everyday people impact the world through their careers. Learn about their journey, career hacks, and obstacles along the way. Whether you're already having the impact you want or are searching for it, this is the podcast for you. All right. Antonio, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity to share my story.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Um, it's great to have folks like you over on Career Cheat Code, especially because you do so many great things that are beneficial to our communities. So let's just dive right in. Let's tell the world what it is you do for a living.
SPEAKER_01:You know, I have a title, and I mean director of educational and career services, and also for the Boys Club of New York, but also the founder of the Latino College Expo. But I always put all those titles under one umbrella, which is changing the lives of young people in the communities I serve.
SPEAKER_00:That's amazing. So tell me more about your your role at the Boys Club. Um, what is it that you're tasked with doing there? And when you walk in on Monday, what is it that you're that you're planning for the week and responsible for?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's interesting. The work I do starts even before I enter the office as soon as I wake up in many ways, because I check, you know, emails and and and see if anything is needed by the parents that I work with and the families that I work with. But what I do, you know, under that title, it's not limited to educational career services, but it is opening access and allowing families to understand how to navigate this journey of getting their child into a great high school and into a great college. And not so much a great, but their right match college because it's not always about getting into because it has a name. It's about getting to the school that's the best match for your child's personality, for their interests, so they can have a better and greater chance of succeeding. Uh, we get caught up with names, but it's really more important the right match because it's their journey for the next four years or eight years or ten years. So it's important to do that. And that's quite what I do. And I also try to connect them to other resources out there. We don't have all the answers. I don't have all the answers, but I have quite a set of resources and relationships that I've built that I can communicate with them and also connect them to what else is out there that can help them.
SPEAKER_00:So while these young men are at the boys club for many different reasons, right? Because you can be there for recreational purposes or other things, you're looking at it from the perspective of how do we now think about their futures while they're while they're in in this building? How do we prepare them and their families for high school, college, um, and kind of using both the network that you've now built over the last decades, right? Um, but also just what you know about these the youth. What do we know about these kids or young young people to kind of make those matches?
SPEAKER_01:Well, again, knowledge is power in many ways, understanding how to navigate, understanding that there are resources, I mean, especially around education, people get scared of a price tag, but understanding that there are ways to overcome that price tag, and there are so many options beyond the radius of where they live. There are other states that are looking for kids that look like them, and parents especially to understand that it's an opportunity for your child, and if they if they've earned that opportunity, they should not hold them back. Not that they want to hold them back, but they're fearful. Don't let fear hold you back from trying to find better angles and better roads towards success. And if your child has earned it, why not? So a lot of it is inspirational. A lot of it is is is getting to know them, getting to know what their interests are, and trying then to connect those dots. Because kids have interests and they don't even know it. But when you get to talk to them, they kind of share and reveal some of their talents and some of their passions. And then if we really click, then I would help them to really follow that passion in a roadmap that's really going to connect all the dots for them and also inspire them. And it's okay to fall, it's okay not to have uh have made mistakes, it's okay to not be strong in math or English. We'll work with you and and help you. And also trades. Um, over the years I've gotten really much into talking to students about trade because not everyone wants to go to an academic institution, and trades are booming, and they're great careers, very lucrative careers. And if their passion is with their hands and doing things around HVAC or plumbing, it's okay. And it's a great career. But know how to do it right, know how to get the right certification, know how to think beyond and become the owner of a company. So have that entrepreneurial spirit is what I also try to teach students. They have it naturally, but they don't know it sometimes.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. And like you said, it's you know, providing some of that insight and knowledge and expanding their mind to possibilities, right? I know I've spoken to teenagers, so I have a kid in college now. I've spoken to teenagers that are his peers, and they're like, I'm not applying to college, that's too expensive. My parents can't afford that. I'm like, wait a minute. How about you sit down with some folks that do this for a living and they can tell you about some options, right? Because I'm a fortunate product of services like this, right? Not the boys club directly, but services like that of people that took the time out to say, well, let's let's explore some options for you. Like, I know your parents don't have a lot of money saved up for college, but can we use your financial situation to secure some grants, to secure some financial aid, to get you to the right place that'll that'll nurture your talents. So I try to like pass that down. But I feel like I relied so much on people like you growing up to help me jumpstart my career and get to the right place.
SPEAKER_01:No, I I agree totally. I agree totally. I I don't want to uh be remiss not to talk about the expo and the Latino College Expo, because that's part of this journey as well and what I offer and having that idea to start this event 35 plus years ago was definitely monumental for me, but also for the thousands and thousands of kids uh that have attended the event. And that triggered through my work in admissions, uh where I was seeing parents not as versed in the process. But again, putting it in perspective, 35 years ago, parents have become more knowledgeable, but with the influx of immigration and language learners, it's still a not known entity for them, uh, the idea of affording college. But the Expo was a bridge with parents to become better partners with their child, um, bringing in different colleges that are bilingual in terms of their representation so they can deliver the message not only in English to the students, but also Spanish to the parents. Um, we forget to feel that without the parents' support, it's not gonna happen. And um, and I really want to focus on bringing uh a partnership that's really gonna benefit them and the community they live in.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. So we'll spend we'll definitely spend some time talking about the college expo because I think that it all ties in and it all, as you said, it's one umbrella, right? It's just who you are and the work that you're doing to shape people's lives. We'd love to hear more about within the boys club. One, how long have you been there? And two, was your starting role the same role where you are now? Like, what does that look like? And I'm thinking about it from the perspective of you have a very mission-aligned career, right? And that's not always the case for us. It's like sometimes we have to figure out community impact outside of our work lives, but that's not your case. It seems very mission-aligned. So we'd love to hear more about how you started in in this path, and then we can we can talk about the career expo there.
SPEAKER_01:Sure, sure, sure. I mean, I as far as the boys club, I mean, I was a product of the boys club when I was a teenager, and I had the opportunity to go there when I was about 11 or 12. A little later than most kids, but it was the time that I was allowed to go by my parents. But it was pivotal for me to go there to help me to have a safe haven. So I know the impact of what that offers, just being in a safe environment where you can actually learn, expand, meet friends, and and and not have your parents worry about you being in the streets. That kind of morphed into going away to school, going away to boarding school, actually, which that was my pivotal moment for me. And then years later, you know, going on to college and then and then coming back to the boys' club to work in the position and in the program that helped me to go away, it was a no-brainer for me. It was like full circle for me. I said, wow, I can do what somebody else did for me to help them get out of the city and go away to these expensive schools that you have so many opportunities. And now I'm in the role of making that decision and changing a student's life. I just jumped on it. It was more personal than actually, you know, business or just moving up the ladder and going into a different career, which I've had a different career before that, which hopefully I can share. But so I've been there, you know, since then, and I was a director of high school and college placement. It morphed a little bit into educational career services. But, you know, to me, titles don't mean anything. I honestly, you really, really don't. It's the impact of the work. But the work and the impact of the work is around helping and elevating the educational aspirations of our young people and bridging the gap between parents and young people working together to get to the next level and bringing resources and connecting them to alumni that have succeeded so they can see and hear stories of people that look like them. So I really am holistic in my approach. Um, there are bullet points, applications, essay prep, test prep, bringing in schools for interviews, taking them to a school, visiting them, writing them emails, talking to the parents to navigate the financial aid process, advocating if they got in trouble, if they want to wait to a school or are adjusting to college and having challenges. All of that falls under my umbrella. So it is practical, but it's also holistic because we are human beings at the end of the day and have our own stories, and each of us are in a different place. And I have I try to really connect to where they are to help them get to where they need to be or want to be.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. So it sounds like not only is your role rewarding, it's also a full circle moment, right? Like you were a beneficiary of this program to then come back and say, you know what, how do I now help others achieve that path? And to then fall in love with it, right? Like you have to love doing that if you're if you're there, you know, over 20 years later. So we'd love to hear more about one, where did you grow up that you were going to the voice club? Where'd you end up going to college, that you went away for a while and came back? So let's talk about some of your upbringing.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I was born and raised in the Lower East Side of New York, and I'm very proud to be a New Yorkin from the Lower East Side. And as my partner calls me, Puerto Rican preppy from the Lower East Side. And I I say that because I'm, you know, I'm Puerto Rican. I went to prep school, but I also am from the Lower East Side. So I always tell kids, never forget where you came from. So I grew up in the Lower East Side. It was a very um interesting neighborhood back in the 70s when I grew up. I loved it. Well, it was had this danger points like most urban cities have. That era, though, was critically dangerous and and and really, really affected a lot of young people if they weren't strong enough or had some place to go. And for me, fortunately, I had a place called the Boys Club at the time. But it was a creative environment full of many artists and many poets and many writers. And and and I didn't really understand that until as I got older and realized the magic that was occurring in that neighborhood. You know, places that struggle, art is a way of getting out of that struggle, it's a way of expressing that struggle. And I didn't realize that until later on. But I'm very happy to have been born and raised in the Lower East Side. And then going to the boys' club, having the chance to go away to boarding school in Providence, Rhode Island. Uh, who would have thought of it? But my parents felt that it was important for me to get out. I was a good young man, but you've when you're around a lot of these landmines, you you just might step into the wrong time at the wrong place, and something could happen, even though you're a good person. So, but they saw that, and I didn't know that. I just said, wow, I'm going away to school. Did I do something bad? No, that I think they they, to their credit, they saw the future and didn't want that future to be derailed in any way for me. And then from there, I, you know, I I I had a great career in in prep school, I adjusted very well, uh, succeeded in a lot of leadership roles there. And then I went to college, which was inevitable. I went to Syracuse. I the college, the college guidance that I use now with our young people, I didn't have it then. I mean, I enjoyed my time at Syracuse, but I also, you know, got into Middlebury, you know, got into BU. You know, Middlebury would have been a nice small liberal arts school. But I went to Syracuse and I think, you know, like most kids, I went to Syracuse because they were in the final four the year before. So I was like, okay, I want to go there. Um, but I don't think now, as I talk to kids, I that's not a reason to pick a college. But again, made some great friends, a great school, would never change. I would never change anything in my life's journey. Everything was meant to be because that's the way it was laid out for me. So yeah. And then I and then after college, I came back to New York and wanted to be an actor.
SPEAKER_00:Oh. Um yeah. Is it did that start within your college career, or was that something that you had while you were in the Lower East Side and off to boarding school? Like, did you always have in your mind, like, I just I just want to be an actor?
SPEAKER_01:You know, when I think about it, now that you mentioned that, you know, I was very involved in creativity at high school, in high school, you know, did West Side Story, did some poetry and all of that, very influenced by some of the writers, New York City writers, that that I would pick up their books at a library and say, wow, a lot, you know, and he wrote this book. And then in in college, I got involved in a lot of theater projects. I think it was a calling, but I didn't know that a lot of it was probably embredded into me from growing up where I grew up and being in, I think it was in the air. So many artists have come out of the Lower East Side, so many great writers, great musicians, great poets. It's really rich with creativity. I don't know. I think it was in the air, but it was my calling. It was my spirit. It still is my spirit to be creative, and I decided to uh pursue that and went through the whole journey of uh watering and bartending, and then finally getting a big break on Broadway with a play about the Lower East Side, ironically, uh called Cuba and his teddy bear. And it was um the person who wrote it, uh someone I knew, and he was the second Puerto Rican ever in the history of theater to be produced on Broadway. And he got Robert De Niro to be in it and Bert Young, Ralph Machia. It was quite a journey. You know, I always tell Kit yesterday I was sharing some stories, you know, when we went to a party and danced with Madonna. I was like, wow, I'm dancing with Madonna. Uh but again, that was that was my journey at that time. And then it shifted. And ironically, it's because of the boys club in many ways. I was pursuing that that career, had a little girl, needed to really get a little bit more steady in my life. And he offered me to, or wanted to nominate me for a job to work in admissions at a school called SUNY Purchase, which for those who don't know, is a state university with a conservatory school of the arts, one of the best schools out there for a state university and in the country for performing in visual arts. Again, the right match for me as I was looking to transition. And then I was there and I got to be an adjunct faculty in theater, worked in admissions, and started really creating programs. So still, creativity is always around you. Just you don't have to be creative because you're an actor or singer or musician. You can be creative as a professional administrator, as a business person, um, you know, as a doctor. I mean, creativity is very important in everything we do. Yourself creating this podcast is a form of creativity to express, you know, and share to the people out there. And I did that at SUNY Purchase, and that was just the right match. And I created many programs, and that's when I had the idea to do the Latino College Expo. That's something happened during my journeys and admissions that triggered the idea to I need to do something. And I took the chance to do it. I still worked, but I had this passion to create this event, and it just it blossomed. It blossomed. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:So you're this young man from the Lower East side, figuring life out after college, doing some watering, all the things you need to do to pursue your your dreams at the time, and you actually get to act on Broadway. Uh, which also is not something to overlook, right? Like it's one thing to say, at some point I want to be an actor. It's another thing to actually do the thing, right? Like you have actually done the things that you have put into the universe. You know, I think one would love to hear about kind of your experience on Broadway and how kind of learnings that you got from it and how that helped shape you. And then two, I know you mentioned it sounds like you you had a daughter at the time that then sparked some thoughts into your head about getting some stable income. But, you know, we'd love to hear a little bit more about that process because that's a very unique path.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, you know, I mean, it didn't just get to Broadway. I did some off-Broadway, did some commercials, and then had the chance to get on Broadway. It wasn't an easy journey. And when I first auditioned for the play, I made the wrong choice. So again, making choice is important. I make the wrong choice in terms of some of the uh choices I made when I auditioned. I if I would have twisted it a little bit, but again, so I didn't get the actual part, I got, but I got on as an understudy. Then when we went to Broadway, I took over the role. So I, you know, you have to be an understudy before you get the role, if you don't get the role right away. And that was a business because when you become an understudy, you don't that doesn't necessarily guarantee that you're gonna go on to Broadway when they start moving from off Broadway to Broadway. They want to make sure it's a business that you can carry your weight for if that opportunity happens and you have to play the role that you're gonna do well enough, you know, to keep it on that level, especially with the actors that were leading the show, you know, you know, Bobby and um and and Bert and Ralphie and many others, um Paul called it on. And but I was taken to Broadway as an understudy and I took over. And I learned a lot. I learned a lot that I apply now. I learned about being committed, I learned about being truthful, I learned about my manager, being creative, being passionate, being creative, being truthful. As an actor, you have to communicate. As an actor, you have to connect to the audience, not only in their head, but in their heart. And you have to really listen and you have to really give and you have to be able to take back. These are all things of life. And and I studied with, you know, with the study with De Niro, but being on there with him and watching the energy just trans transmit from his body. When and this is different than a movie. Theater is real life. Theater is happening right there. You know, you're looking at it, you're feeling his heat, you're feeling his laughter, you're you're you're you're you're looking at each other. You know, it's tremendous, a tremendous feeling. But but to bring that into this career that I do now, it's still relevant. You know, you have to communicate with families, you have to communicate with kids, you have to communicate with school officials, you have to really be honest, and you have to really sh tell your story and advocate. But you really have to also be passionate and and and be creative to make like Latino College Expo came out of creativity. I could have sat there and just uh introduced my school, go to all these different events, but I had a different eye calling or a different thought process in my head that I need to do something bigger than that. I need to really make a big bigger impact. This is important, not just for the school, but for the Latino community at the time and just all young people. And sometimes you have to follow it, you have to take that leap and you have to be creative. And I think theater is the same, theater is the same way. You have to take that leap, take a chance. You know, a funny story. I did the show one day and it was De Niro's birthday. So I come in on the scene, I knock on the door, his back is to the audience, and then he lets me in, you know, and and I'm and I'm saying, Who is he? I said happy because the thing is is um red lights was my character, but I changed it that day. Why? Because that was his birthday. So I said, happy, happy, it's happy. He said, Who, happy, happy? And he opened the door, happy birthday, you know, and no one knew what that all meant. Only he and I and somebody, but he looked at me because his back is to the ones. He just gave me a little smirk. You got me there, because he he loves improvisation, you know. So I improvise, but it added a little different element. But I think that's so wonderful to try to improvise and try to find new ways to keep things fresh. And as a business person, you can understand that. As a creative, you definitely have to understand that. And as an admissions person, you definitely have to understand that as well. I've done seminars since then and workshops with admissions people to bring some of those approaches to the work of creativity and acting into the work of admissions because you are dealing with people. So I really combine both. But my foundation, I call myself a creative educator, not just an educator, but a creative educator.
SPEAKER_00:That's great. And that, you know, I think that that term really embodies who you are, right? Um, from all I know about you, is like I'm gonna take all the pieces from the different walks of my life and bring them together for the impact that I'm trying to have here for the youth that you're committed to. I I love that term. Uh, would would like to hear more about now that you're working at SUNY Purchase, what is the moment that happens that lets you know, sure, I'll keep my enroll at SUNY Purchase or continue to work in this field. And there's a need for this Latino College Expo. Tell me more about that, Pat.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, being one of the only Latino administrators, you know, which is still kind of like that, make a lot a lot better now. But at the time, you know, I really gravitated to the Latino students on campus and all students of color on campus or you know, black and brown kids on campus. And I became an advisor to you know a Latino organization. Uh, they wanted to do a play. When they heard my background, I actually helped them put together a great performance that I still have a video of it because I did the opening monologue, and they were like, Man, Mr. Ponty, you really know how to act. Oh, it was really funny. But being creative, I also saw a need, there's a program called EOP, H E O P Higher Education Opportunity Program, Education Opportunity Program, where in order to get into that program, you have to fit a financial guideline and an academic guideline. So during that time when I would go, I would see kids that fit the academic guideline, but not the financial. So they were in this catch 22. I can't get in academically, I can't get in financially, how am I going to get in? So I approached the dean of academic affairs with an idea. Let's start a program where students who are academically not eligible and financially not eligible, a chance. And a handful, about 10 kids. And let me work with them, let me guide them and advocate how they can navigate the resources on the campus because they don't realize you don't have to be part of a special program. There are many support services on campus. Again, you have to know how to navigate. And he said yes, because it helped to build numbers. And we did. I had 10, 9 came back. Eventually, by the time I left, I had 150 kids in the program. But I gave chances to some kids that are excelling today, that even and one in particular that I always talk about. His name is, and I'm sure Anthony Goanaga. I always talk about him. Those that know me say, oh, again, you're talking about Anthony. But Anthony really uh deplics the work and the importance. He had a 75 average. I took him into the program. He wanted to be a bio major. He wanted to be a trainer. At the time, the New York Knicks were training at the facility. I went and I connected him to the trainer then to provide an internship for him. He got the internship. He ran with that internship. He folded towels for the first, you know, four years while being a bio pre-med major. But he'd also gained the trust of the Knicks staff, coming there every day, committed to what he had to do, went on and got his doctorate and master's in physical therapy. Anyway, he is the doctor of the New York Knicks for training. He is the main doctor. He's been with them like 25, 30 years, but he's he started at 17 as an intern. And he's so successful and so so indicative of giving someone a chance. And I have thousands of stories like that. And and and he he came back and spoke to some of my kids about the value of internships to understand if this is something you want to do in life. Really don't disregard doing an internship if you're not getting paid. You know, it's all about getting experience and all about exploring whether this is something you see yourself doing down the line. So he he's tremendous. Luis Roseto, another great person, accepted through my program, who was on the board of Hispanic Federation, doing really well, you know, uh financially and career-wise. And these guys always remember that pivotal moment that they had um with me. And I feel really good. I I really get excited about all the young people I've helped over the years. I can go on and on and write a book just on all these people that that that really um display how important getting that pivotal moment in your life can do for your trajectory of your future.
SPEAKER_00:No, absolutely. So I'm sure you have so many more of these folks that are like just prime examples of the great work. Tell me more about how do you then grow this from a one-time program for 10 students to just help them, right? To what it is now, right? Like this is now 30 years later?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. I mean, I don't do the program now. I mean, I'm not there anymore. And the program has evolved and morphed into something else. But at the time, it was the original idea and concept that really was the springboard to what they do now.
SPEAKER_00:Interesting. So so you're doing that and you're having that impact within within the campus, and then you go off and say, you know what, I also am gonna host this college expo too, as you said earlier, to then bring in also the parents, um, get them a little bit more involved. Like what right. How how does that how do those pieces come together? How do you go from just doing the work internally for a subset to then saying, I also need to do much more?
SPEAKER_01:I mean, you have to have passion, first of all. And the and the expo evolved by going to college fairs as a representative for the college I was working at and seeing students not asked the right questions, seeing parents not as invested or unaware and really holding them back. And one evening, driving back after I spoke to a young lady with her mom in the Bronx, SUNY purchases in Westchester, literally a half hour away. You know, if you take the Beeline bus or the Metro North, and mother saying, no, you can't go, you can't apply, it's too far. And I was like, wait a minute, mom, this is really this is closer than her going to SUNY Binghamton or something like that. You know, and and and um I came, I was driving back with a colleague from another institution, and we were just talking a lot of Latino mail. Um, and together we just said, you know, we got to let's try to do something. And we said, let's, and it's really funny. We just said, let's call it Latino College Ex. It was on a drive home. And they say, well, let's call other colleges then. Let's call and try to find a space to do a college fair, making sure that most of the college admissions people are bilingual, offering some workshops to explain the basic financial aid process and how to fill out an application, and let's see where it goes, you know, and and do it on a Saturday so there's less red tape with getting kids out of school. And first time I had maybe like 30 colleges and and maybe about 350 kids, but we did it. Kept doing it every year. That, yeah, but you know, it is, it is, it is for the first time. I mean, that's not bad. But it grew at its peak because things have changed recently in this whole landscape. But at its peak, I would get about 150 colleges, about 1,500 to 2,000 kids coming. And I had some of the greatest speakers that you can imagine come and offer their time to speak to the students in the opening leadership summit, uh, which my partner helped me to really evolve that even greater. And then, you know, I got to give props to, you know, Diempo, the talk show on Channel 7, Mr. Joe Torres, who's had me on his show for over 20 years, or or close to 20 years. And two years ago they celebrated their 40th, and he even put me on and said, And this is Antonio, who I've known him since we both didn't have hair, or I he had black hair, now I have he has gray hair, and I have no hair. Um, but we've known each other, become friends. But people like that have supported the visibility of the audio, you know, AM New York, you know, the Makardo project. They've they've supported. I've gotten a lot of support. Now it's been challenging the last few years. The landscape has changed, you know, after COVID, you know, a lot of virtual college fairs have popped up. That personal touch is not there as much. Um, also, you know, the landscape with immigration has caused some fear with us, our young families and and kids, you know, to last my last expo last year that I, you know, it was good, but it wasn't, you know, I felt, I felt the little gap. And I think there was the fear of what was going on in this world today. And so I'm I'm reevaluating the next one in 2026. I don't want to stop. I will keep doing it. Is it gonna be a virtual event? Is it gonna be a live event? I still have some time to figure that out. I'm gonna speak to some of my colleagues and people that have supported me and figure this out. If I do it in a virtual method, I really want to get a good platform, you know, get the sponsorship I need to create a really, in, really robust platform where it almost feels like you're there in person. I know in person it's always best, but I think if if my vision comes together, I will have a powerful virtual uh platform that'll still educate everyone, provide, and I can always work with them individually afterwards. But I want to keep going with the mission of the Latino College Expo. It's really taught me everything I am today. It's really been embedded into my DNA and who I am. It really set me up as a leader, much more than all the other work I've done, because the Expo was expanded. I've had calls from people to do it in other states, other people have replicated it, like in California, in Miami, and in you know, Florida. Um, and that's okay. That's that's a testament to the work. Yeah, I feel really proud that I that I, again, being creative, that I took that leap to do something. And you never know unless you try, as an old adage. But that's kind of how I approach life now as I get to my my years of going to my third chapter, you know, more consulting and and events planning.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no. So you see, I think this is so powerful, right? Because you already had an impactful role within a university, right? You're a SUNY purchase, you're helping students like myself that went through HEOP or EOP, right? You're providing so much access to things. Somewhere in your brain, you go to so many college fairs all the time, and you're like, actually, why don't we just host one for the kids that we want to support, right? And like to then go from that kernel of an of an idea to the first year already having 350 people there, over 30 colleges, like that's really powerful, right? And then to build on that year after year, like we're talking about thousands of students, families that have been impacted by your work and that are able to trace a direct line. And I'm I'm sure a lot of these stories you may not even know how that impacted them, right? Like even yeah, like even just that person of oh, SUNY purchase is so far from the Bronx, and you're like, it's 30 minutes. Like you can go to St. John's and travel longer, and that's in the city, right? You can go to Brooklyn for college and that's further. But just that like expanding and and giving some of that knowledge away is just extremely powerful. And I'm sure your work has had so many ripple effects throughout our communities in a way that's well.
SPEAKER_01:It's interesting. That young girl did go to SUNY Persia. That young girl is now, you know, a mother and has her MSW. And I saw her about maybe like six months ago in an event at the Museo El Barrio, and she walked, she like ran, she saw me, she knew I was there. You know, Tony, because people they've known me for a long time, and now it's not Mr. Ponty. I mean, she's in the dope. Tony, oh my God. And I said, Doris, oh my God, how are you doing? And it it it's really, I I I don't even have words that can express the feelings I feel and and how proud I am that my calling has been the work that I do today.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, that's absolutely fascinating. I think it's it's such a blessing, and it's something that not many people get to realize within their lifetime. And I think you've done that multiple times over, right? Like you have, you're like, hey, I want to be an actor. You're an actor. Um, I want to help the youth. You did that both through your career as SUNY Purchased and at the Boys Club and continue to do that work, and then you go above and beyond and say, Well, I still want to do more. So let me do things like this Latino College Expo and help even more families um get the right resources, just understand information better, know their options, and just let them do with that information what they will, but at least they won't make decisions without information. Um, so it's like extremely powerful and extremely, you know, just life-changing to have people like you that go above and beyond their nine to five.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm just one of many. Thanks, thank God. There are a lot, a lot of people doing this work, a lot of my colleagues, a lot of other organizations that I've spearheaded or supported or mentored and or offered best practices or inspired to do the same thing. So I think, you know, it's really snowballed into a movement in many ways. Back in the day, Aspida was the organization that provided for our Latino community. Now you have, you know, Hispanic Federation is one of the largest ones out there. You know, the Expo is still a small kid on the block, but a very impactful small kid on the block that really did it with passion and with creativity and with truth.
SPEAKER_00:What are you more most proud of in your career?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'll probably the expo. I think the expo, being on Broadway with Robert De Niro, it's like a dream come true. Just to work every day and and seeing lives that have been changed, and and they they say, Thanks, Mr. Ponte, for helping me. And at that time, I mean, they've taken it to a greater heights, but you always need that pivotal moment, you always need that start. And to be the the start of someone's, you know, seeing that there's more out there in this world, I think it's one of the greatest uh moments, you know, and and trying to be a good father, and you know, made my mistakes, you know, it's hard being a single father, but uh, but at least I stayed there. And and and whether she sees it or not, I think as she gets older, she'll see it. But I've been there and it will never leave her and always will do my best to support her in her her journeys. Great.
SPEAKER_00:Are there any forms of media? I mean, that could be a play, that could be a book, uh, that could be um any anything else that you have consumed that has shaped you personally or professionally?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, I like looking at books, I like reading books. I love theater, you know, uh and and and and the message that it can share if it's if it's well written. But I think some books is uh I say pivotal moments a lot during our conversation, but that is a book by Roberto Espinosa. And I and I that really triggered a lot for me because it made me realize, you know, that I create pivotal moments for kids and for young people and for people I meet, and that a pivotal moment can really change their life. And everyone, if they really think, has had a pivotal moment, whether it's their basketball coach, the school counselor, their parent, someone was that moment that was pivotal in their lives. So that's one book. Another book is starts with why by Simon Sinek. I love that. I love what he says. It's not what you do, it's not how you do it, it's why you do it. And that why is so important in the work that we do. Because everyone does this work, but why, that's how you sell it. Um, that's how you connect it. Because if they understand the why, it takes on a greater importance. And um, and then this other book that I really like is called Um The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, the musician and producer. And he really touches upon so many things. You know, again, uh combining creativity with education, uh, with realization, with purpose. And um, and I think that book has also been very, very good to me and continues to to invigorate the work that I do. And and I look at it from a creative lens. Everything I do, I'm not I'm not a textbook guy with saying, you know, the metric show. I'm about connecting and really, really seeing if there's 2,000 in my best approach, every single one approach and support them as the individual they are. And that's a lot of work. But I think when you develop something and you know how to do it and it's innate in your in your DNA and in your spirit, I think it just happens naturally. I think I've been gifted with that and have that that that that that I don't want to get into spiritual, but but that spiritual connection that I that I have. I'm Latinos, we know we're gonna grow up with some spirituality. But I do believe in really connecting with a person's soul and and listening to their their their their needs and goals and trying to help them.
SPEAKER_00:So you've had so many different kinds of careers. Um at each point, can you talk a little bit about how much money folks can make in different fields, right? So in the acting space, I know that that was one of the determining factors for you to then go back to getting a full-time role, right? But like kind of just give folks a sense of at that time how much money people can make in that field, um, and then through the work that you're doing in direct services with something like the boys club, right? Um, and then as someone that has your own organization with the Latino College Expo, like how how do these pieces come together?
SPEAKER_01:Ooh, it's a lot there. You know, being an actor, you have to have a passion. I mean, you have that passion, right? Be an actor is the high is the high and the lows the low, someone told me, you know, and you have to be per you have to persevere, you have to be persistent. You have to have some talent. That's not good enough, but you do have to have some talent. I mean, you have to just follow your heart, man. If, you know, and if you really want to be an actor or musician or an artist, follow it. I'm never gonna turn anyone down, but just be strategic and work hard and understand that the high is the high and the lows are low, and you always have to learn. You always have to continue to grow as as a performer and learn the tools and learn from some of the greats. And always but be out there. Always audition. You learn, always. I I did a play, I auditioned for a play, I didn't get the part, but the the act the director remembered me. And then there was another play like three months down the line. I got a call, you know, hey, you audition for you, you weren't right for the road, but I remember you. You had a really good audition. Would you like to come in and audition for this part? And um, so always leave a good impression, but just understand, you know, also, I mean, just understand that if if this is the path you choose, then go for it. I mean, one of the reasons I stepped out was not because I I wasn't succeeding or I wasn't on the cusp of maybe. You have to be very selfish as an actor. I mean, I just had my little girl and I had her by myself, so it was a lot more work. And I knew there was a calling, maybe, to do the work that I'm doing now. And and I knew there was something still not satisfying me. And there's the art of acting, this is the business of acting, understanding both. So I can't say how much you make. Yeah, you can hit it big and make really good money. Um, but you can also be struggling around along the road. But if but you got to be persistent and know when to step out if you have to, but also just stay persistent. In terms of admissions work, you know, that's not something, you know, while now they do have a lot of courses and a lot of certificate programs. I think, you know, you can explore it as a young person by volunteering, you know, at your college with the admissions office giving tours. There are different levels depending where you work. You don't become an admissions or dean of enrollment right away. You have to be patient, a young person. You have to be patient and grow. You have to start as an admissions counselor, um, work your way up, maybe become associate, maybe become senior, and then maybe become dean or dean of enrollment or director of admissions. There are many, you work for city university, for state university, for private institutions, you know, independent schools, you can work at a private school, you can work at a charter school. They all have different levels, but just again, you have to stick with it. I think there's a great, great growth, growth growth path in that field, but you have to stick with it. You have to understand that it's a process, that it's a marathon and not a sprint. I tell that a lot to a lot of young people. It's a marathon and not a sprint. And understand that. And you have to have that willingness to get out of your comfort zone and meet people and connect and learn. Always be a learner, always be a sponge. And I think if you dedicate and you show your work ethic, it is going to be highs during the, especially the academic season, where you're working days, nights, weekends, but it all settles in later after you've met your class. But if you like it, if you really want to do it, just meet, learn, and connect. There are a lot of organizations out there. College Access Consortium of New York is one that I believe in very much. I was a founding member of that. And it's a great network for anyone interested in college access. You know, there are a lot of there are a lot of ways. You just have to really uh be out there and and and be a student of the game. But you can make a good living. You know, and if you work in an independent school, you can live on campus for free. You know, that's always a wonderful first job. It could lead to a career. But when you're young, go to and not pay for rent, not pay for gas, electricity, maybe have your family or your significant other with you, get your, you know, get your your graduate degree paid for. I mean, I think it's a great start for someone and then see where life takes you after that. Um, that's how that's my answer to that.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. No, that's a you know, those are some really good career cheat codes there, right? Um, especially if you think about having a role early on in your career that gives you free education. That gives that was you know something I definitely took advantage of, and that's how I have a master's degree now, right? Thinking about a place that gives you free housing, right? Like that's an opportunity to cut your biggest expense normally and save that money and set your family up for the future. So those are those are some really good points that you mentioned there. You are a very layered individual, and you have so many kind of pieces that may seem disconnected to others, but you you bring them together really well. Um, I really like the frame a creative educator, um, because I do think bringing that creativity to all of your spaces is important, right? Like I don't think we're all linear, and even if we're an accountant and that's what we do, there are creative ways to do that. There are creative things that you can bring out into the world that that make you just better at what you do, or separate outlets that at least kind of bring the full person together. Um, so I appreciate you sharing all of that. How can people support the uh Latino College Expo or learn about it?
SPEAKER_01:Well, they can go to our website. I mean, obviously, when I do promote, just continue to check the website and I'll have more updates on when the next one's going to be. I think, you know, I do a lot of workshops or try to do a lot of virtual, you know, uh panelists uh to have people like yourself share their share their story, you know, offering time, though I do have quite a resource of people over the years that I've helped, uh I can always use more. Obviously, you know, we're 501c3, but we're still growing. You know, I I just keep letting it, just keep supporting it. You know, if you're an educator and work in a high school, supported within your schools to attend, to attend any of the events we do in person or virtual. You know, if you're in the high school, you know, come and seek out the work of myself and and others out there to help navigate their journey to have that opportunity to make an opportunity of a private school affordable, if that's what you choose. You know, and or if you're looking at staying local with public or charter, you know, seek out our help and my help to um to navigate that journey. There is nothing I haven't seen over the years. And and I don't care if you have a 60 average or 98 average, I will find a home for you. So don't feel I'm not doing well in school, I can't go to college. No, that is so untrue. You know, you just have to want it, and then there are people like me, but if not, you can just reach out to me and I will help you to navigate a roadmap, a game plan to get to where you want to be. At the end, you have to carry it out, but I will provide a script to use the term, and you have to bring your individuality to the script, but at least you'll have a script to follow that if you've if you work hard to learn the lines, to to inject your own personality into it, you will uh succeed.
SPEAKER_00:Is there anything else we haven't discussed that the world should know about Antonio?
SPEAKER_01:Antonio loves movies, Antonio loves live salsa music, Antonio loves animals, Antonio likes to embrace life, and Antonio likes to help anyone that asks for help if I if it's possible. If not, then I will lead you to someone else that can. And Antonio's very very blessed to to his parents in heaven and to the people I've gotten to know, and now you in my circles um that I've gotten to know. So thank you to you and to the world.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks for sharing that. Thanks for coming on Career Chico today.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you for having me. I really um, you know, I was honored when you called and and excited that we completed this conversation. And I hope that when it does air, that people can, you know, try to read between the lines and and try to maybe capture what I was trying to say. I hope they get it. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did and believe on the mission we're on, please like, rate, and subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you're using, and share this podcast with your friends and your networks. Make sure you follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn at Career Cheat Code and tell us people or careers you would like to see highlighted. See you next week with some more cheat codes. Peace.
