SHU Alum Starts Scholarship at Jack Welch College of Business & Technology
Daniel Santini pays forward the help he received as a SHU student
Sacred Heart University alum Daniel Santini ’17 is helping students in the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology (WCBT) obtain the same opportunities he had as a SHU student with a new, multi-year scholarship.
“Sacred Heart welcomed me as a student and provided me the encouragement and support that helped me become the best version of myself,” said Santini. “As a son of an immigrant, and hard-working parents, I was always told growing up that ‘No one can take your education from you.’ I have carried that with me throughout my life and understand the value of hard work, strong values and determination.”
After graduating from SHU, Santini found himself being drawn back to Sacred Heart. “You leave college and go into the wider world where there are other responsibilities and new experiences, and I felt a void,” he said. “I was looking for a way to interact with SHU again. Sacred Heart was my home for four years.”
Santini seized the opportunity to establish a scholarship at his alma mater. “I was a SHU scholarship recipient, and it helped make my education possible and allowed me to take advantage of other opportunities at SHU, such as the study-abroad program,” he said. “It also made me recognize how the generosity of one person can have an impact on the success of another. So, to pay it forward, I established an annual scholarship in the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology to support a student following a path similar to mine.”
He encourages students to step outside their comfort zones and take advantages of all that Sacred Heart offers. “It wasn’t originally my plan to study abroad. Yet, my time in Dingle, Ireland was one of the best experiences I had at SHU.”
Santini is the senior manager of acquisition marketing at Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon. His role is to build membership by optimizing the new customer journey to ensure customers can explore the breadth of content offered while also understanding what is included with membership.
Initially an undeclared major, Santini was drawn to marketing because he was able to combine his analytical and creative skills effectively. “I never wanted to do a job that was 100% analytical and numbers-based,” he said. “I’m very visual; I like to design and create. Marketing lets you use data to influence your design.”
Seeing where the market was going at that time, he double-minored in digital marketing and innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Dan has stayed connected and worked closely with University advancement to develop this scholarship,” said Todd Gibbs, executive director of development & alumni engagement. “It’s inspiring when young alumni get involved.”
To learn more about establishing a scholarship or other giving opportunities at Sacred Heart University, contact Gibbs at gibbst@sacredheart.edu or visit the university advancement webpage.