05/17/2017
Last week we sat down with Angelo Pruitt, UConn Alum and three year starter with the UConn football team. Angelo, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, now lives in Manchester with his fiance and works as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. He has been an active member of the Collective Uplift and Husky Sport communities since his sophomore year and continues to offer his time in the Hartford community. We had a conversation around his experiences with Collective Uplift, his new professional life, and where he feels he makes the most impact.
“I didn't see Collective Uplift (CU) as an organization at first, I saw it as an opportunity to receive advice and guidance from a professor and mentor - Dr. Cooper. I was going through an identity crises at the time - entering the draft, having an injury, approaching graduation, being so far away from home, not knowing my next step. I met Dr. Cooper and saw he could relate to my story. Once we established a relationship we realized that there was a real need for this sort of support for athletes across ethnic groups. It was his vision to create an organization and I kind of became the face because I was going through it at that time. Together with a few other athletes we started to structure a mission statement. Ultimately we decided CU would develop athletes holistically within and beyond athletic contexts. We focused on resume building, character, career development, proper interviewing techniques, professionalism, things that will help you in life and in the workplace after your athletic career is over which is inevitable for every athlete whether you play 2 or 15 years.”
“CU was created to supplement what the university wasn't able to offer. We had a CPIA council with the football team - these people are supposed to be on top of your grades and support the development of a plan outside of football. But at the end of the day they are being paid by the football program so their job is to keep their players on the field. That bias will impact which classes they select or where they focus their time and what they are able to prioritize. They couldn’t really provide that one-on-one attention. There are 110 football players and maybe 4 of them. Collective Uplift gives us a special venue more focused on our unique qualities rather than pushing a one size fits all approach. You can’t put each student on the same path towards success. At CU, we try and find what that path is for you. We pay attention to weather you are an auditory learner or a busy body or how you deal with stress. We couldn't really do that within the football program. Collective Uplift creates space specifically for athletes and addresses our unique college experience.”
“Many families who are living paycheck to paycheck were not given the tools and information to understand how to make money work for them. I was honest when I joined my firm, I told them that I wasn't there to make the rich wealthy. I’m not gonna bring in the traditional million dollar client because that's not who im looking for. They don't need my help. They already have their financials in order and what purpose would adding more value to their portfolio serve? There is this gap, the middle class, that people neglect when it comes to this industry. These people just need the advice to get to the next level, to avoid making the mistakes that could get them off track. I stress the importance of looking not at how much you want to make but at what lifestyle you see for yourself and your future generations. Think ahead, let's not be in the cycle of ‘this is what I can do in these two weeks then I have another paycheck coming.’ No, let’s build for the next year or 5 or better yet 10 years. In my career, that's my push. This focus is totally different than my counterparts, they don’t really understand why people are stuck in that cycle. But I understand first hand. My mother had to work 25 hours a day to actually be able to afford name brand groceries, I didn't know what name brand was growing up. Certain things that other people in my industry may take for granted I’m able to speak to from a different perspective. I think that is why I am having some success, my message resonates with the average individual.”
“As much as we want things to change, it’s hard to figure out how to change them. Having this venue - through Collective Uplift and Husky Sport - to get into the classroom, to reach students at a younger age showed me how I could make a difference. I might not have the monetary capital to donate, but I can give my time and that's as valuable a resource as money. There are different forms of capital. You got social capital, human capital, financial capital, and so on. These organizations helped me realize that giving time is just as important. To be a face that young people can see, that they can relate to, that looks like them and came from where they come from, that understands the importance of budgeting, that understands the importance of trying to enjoy life in the midst of all your trials and tribulations, that’s what Collective Uplift and Husky Sport helped me do.
“I want people to realize that it’s about where you spend your time. It about seeing value in how you spend your time and who you spend your time with. We need to surround ourselves with positive individuals who look at you as a person, not just a an athlete, not just as a Black boy or white boy. Asking someone ‘who are you?’ should be the easiest question to answer but we often stumble. A few years ago I couldn't explain who I was without football. I needed to figure out who I wanted to be so I could put that out into the world, so I could spend my time in a way that aligned with those morals and values.”
