Hailing from Laredo, Texas, Delfino Garcia chose the Canfield Business Honors Program at UT Austin for its unique combination of a small academic community within a large, resource-rich university. He came from a smaller school and he really valued one-on-one relationships with his teachers. “Canfield BHP gave me the best of both worlds.” Delfino shared. One class that particularly stood out to Delfino was MIS 301 H with Professor Agarwal. “It was rigorous but really well-structured. I liked the cases and the fun group projects. It was one of the first challenging classes, and it really brought us Canfield BHP kids together.”
Staying organized has been key to balancing academics and extracurriculars. Delfino uses Google Calendar to manage everything from class times to social commitments, plugging in syllabus information and planning accordingly. Being organized allows him to make the best decision as to what to prioritize with his time. Delfino immersed himself in campus life early, joining 180 Degrees Consulting his freshman fall, where he learned about various business careers and made lasting friendships. In the spring, he joined Phi Chi Theta, a business fraternity that quickly became a big part of his college experience. “I’ve been an officer three times and have stayed active throughout. I’ve made lifelong friends. I can’t imagine my college experience without it.”
Professionally, Delfino’s journey has been marked by some great opportunities. After his freshman year, he interned in McKinsey’s New York office through their First Year Summer Business Analyst program. Here he learned about the importance of detail. “When you’re handing work off to clients, everything needs to be perfect. Overcommunication is key.” He also interned with Blackstone’s PE Strategic Partners group. This was a rigorous experience with long hours. But he learned so much about relying on and learning from the people around me. It helped him realize that Blackstone was where he wanted to work full time. In the long run, Delfino hopes to start his own company one day. “I’ve always wanted to build something from scratch and bring it to a large scale.” After a couple of years in Blackstone he will hopefully live out his entrepreneurship dreams.
One of his most pivotal experiences came during his freshman year. Similar to many students within McCombs and Canfield BHP, he “was so excited after the Org Fair but ended up getting a lot of rejections.” This taught him the importance of “pivoting and adapting”. Every student is on a different path and everyone will succeed in their own time. His advice to incoming freshmen is “It always works out. You’re here for a reason. Don’t compare yourself to others. Work hard, take small steps, and enjoy the ride. Say yes to everything and make time for your friends.” Outside of academics and internships, maintaining close bonds with his hometown friends has been a priority. “Freshman year, we had a Wednesday dinner tradition.” Delfino says that making time for friends is so important and you have to plan it ahead of time because life gets busy.
His experience in Canfield BHP has shown him that failing and taking risks is a good thing. He is incredibly grateful for his experience in Canfield BHP, especially for all of his classmates. As Delfino prepares to begin his post-graduation role at Blackstone in New York, he carries with him the relationships, resilience, and perspective gained from his years in Canfield BHP.