WATCH: Florida Tech Scholar-Athlete Spotlight Recognizes Soccer Player Carlo Campanini

Campanini is majoring in software engineering

WATCH: In this Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, the Panthers feature Panther men’s soccer player Carlo Campanini, a junior defender from Satellite Beach, who is majoring in software engineering.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Being a scholar-athlete at Florida Tech takes an incredible amount of hard work and dedication to excel both in the classroom and on the field.

In this Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, the Panthers feature Panther men’s soccer player Carlo Campanini, a junior defender from Satellite Beach, who is majoring in software engineering. Named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll following the 2018 season, Carlo is part of the second generation of the Campanini family that all played soccer at Florida Tech.

His brother Luca graduated in 2020 and his sister, Isabella, graduated in 2017. His father, Bino, graduated in 1990 and went on to receive a master’s degree in 1992.

In addition, he was co-captain of the 1988 national championship team, a graduate assistant for the 1991 national championship team and today serves as Senior Vice President of Student Life & Alumni Affairs.

Carlo knew better than most what to expect from Florida Tech and with his team currently in season. We sat down with him to talk about how he handles it all and how he plans to use his degree from Florida Tech to chart his own path.

Q: What is your major at Florida Tech? Why did you choose this direction for your education and is this something you always wanted to pursue?

A: My major is software engineering. I chose it because my main interest is in technology and innovation. I think the software industry is the most innovative in the world and it’s not something I was really exposed to when I was younger. But when I did get exposed to it, I realized it’s something I want to get involved in.

Q: What’s an average day of study/classes like for you?

A: It usually starts in training in the morning at 7 a.m., then I go to class and after that I have work. But I feel like the higher you go in your education, the less kind of busywork you get and it’s more complex topics. It might be harder on you to understand, but there’s less of the tedious work that you might have in your first couple of years, so it’s not too bad.

Q: How do you plan to use your degree after graduation?

A: After I graduate, I plan on getting an MBA. So, the actual plan I have is to help bridge the gap between engineers and business people. I’m more of a business guy, but I want to understand both sides of the coin. So, I want to work in the software industry, but also help the two sides of the industry work better together.

Q: How do you balance everything during the season?

A: The great thing about Florida Tech is that the professors understand what it is to be an athlete here. As long as you make the step forward to make sure that you’re keeping them in the loop about what’s going on, they’re always happy to help you out in anything that you need. So yeah, we might be traveling on Wednesday, and I might not be able to make the class but I can watch the recording after.

Q: What’s something you’ve learned about your major that translates to your experience as a scholar-athlete?

A: The biggest thing with the software industry, that a lot of people might not understand it’s a lot of stuff with teammates, a lot of stuff with working together and communicating. That’s all that athletics is about, especially in soccer, is being able to communicate with your teammates and work together. A lot of the things I’m doing right now in my majors, team projects, and even my internship over the summer, that was all on a team. So it definitely applies.

Q: What advice would you give another athlete/prospective athlete who is looking to pursue the path you’ve taken?

A: I would say to mainly be patient. I think a lot of people will come into university and try to make that jump and be successful right out of high school. It could be frustrating for them, they might not be getting the results they are expecting. But it’s something that you have to just put your time in and wait for your moment, and make sure you’re ready when that moment comes.

Q: What have you enjoyed so far about this season? Where do you think this team can go?

A: Well, it’s hard because I’ve been injured. So, I’ve just been watching but I love being around the boys, and just because I’m injured doesn’t mean I can’t give the energy that they need on the sideline in order to do well. So, I’m excited to get back for one but I’m also excited for us to really get started into some conference games. There’s nothing like the Sunshine State Conference, I think it’s the best conference in the country and once those games get started, it’s going to be very interesting.

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