From serving as an Infantry Assaultman in the U.S. Marine Corps to finding a path for himself in business, Romeo Sarmiento came to UVA curious about studying Commerce as he explored a future in higher education. But Sarmiento, who leveraged connections and veteran support in creating his new life, says his roots in business go back much further, long before he joined the military.
“My parents ran a freight logistics and delivery service for a regional commodities company in the Philippines,” he recalls. “Learning about their experiences, being managers and founders of their own business, was always an inspiration to me.”
Having immigrated to Centerville, VA, from the Philippines at age 9, Sarmiento chose to enlist in the Marine Corps in 2013. He was first stationed in North Carolina, and then for two years in Quantico, VA, as a Combat Instructor, toward the end of his military service. “I put myself and my own interests on hold. That way, I could serve the country that was welcoming to have us here,” he says.
After some years fully immersed in military service, he found himself at a crossroads.
“Being a veteran and first-generation, coming in as a veteran, there’s a heightened sense of uncertainty. As a first-generation student, my parents didn’t go to college here in the United States. I can’t come to them as a resource on how to navigate these courses. It gave me a lot of agency about who I wanted to aspire to be or how I wanted to interact with different environments,” he says. “It goes back to knowing the direction I’m headed is not one my parents had gone through. It’s being able to be comfortable about decisions, even though there’s no precedent for those decisions. Once I knew it was time to decide about whether to stay in the Marine Corps for the long run or pursue a different avenue, the conversations around careers started to shape my idea of who I wanted to be after being a Marine.”
He embraced the challenge of pursuing a degree in higher education and all the changes that would come with it. “Transitioning from the military to the University presented a challenge that was formative for me,” he recalls. “I had to reinvent myself not only as a Marine but as a veteran and as a student. The key takeaway for me is to maintain an eternal student mentality because you never stop learning.”
Sarmiento initially found his footing through the Commerce Cohort, an academic, personal, and career development support program that invites high-achieving, high-need students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds for a series of sessions at McIntire. “It had a heavy hand in it,” Sarmiento assesses. “Going into UVA, I knew I wanted to pursue business, but specifically the major being at McIntire instilled a sense of commitment from the School to invest time in me while not being a fully-fledged Commerce student.” Through Comm Cohort, he immersed himself in the community, forming meaningful connections that would prove valuable throughout his studies.
Once accepted at McIntire as a matriculated student, Sarmiento concentrated in Finance, guided by influential courses and faculty who helped shape his academic path. Professor Robert Parham’s Intermediate Corporate Finance course stands out. “He explained the class was a Navy SEAL boot camp for finance. That mindset allowed me to build a resilient mentality,” he says. “It became foundational to my Finance concentration because of the level of attention to detail, precision, and accuracy that Professor Parham was able to instill.”
Yet throughout all of his Comm School courses, Sarmiento noted a continual emphasis on working in teams. The environment was well-suited for him to further develop his leadership skills. Reflecting on the teamwork dynamics, he says, “Due to the nature of McIntire’s curriculum being highly collaborative and group-work intensive, it comes down to being able to manage your peers. Peer leadership is an example of a challenge because you don’t necessarily choose who you’re going to be assigned to or assigned with.” His military experience provided a unique perspective on managing diverse teams and aligning different priorities towards common goals.
His military background also proved beneficial beyond the classroom toward his future: Sarmiento credits the veteran community for establishing pivotal connections that supported his professional endeavors. Through his involvement as the Treasurer and then President for the Student Veterans of America at UVA, he was guided by mentors and fellow veterans, forging significant links that led to career opportunities. His internships at Sagewind Capital in New York and KippsDeSanto in McLean, VA, showcase the strength of those continued relationships. He shares, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the connections I’ve been able to create and foster.”
Sarmiento also applied his leadership skills to help other students at UVA. As President of the One Generation Network, he actively advised first-generation and limited-income students—but also helped others through key CIO partnerships. “A lot of the work I’ve been fortunate enough to do as the OneGen President has been working with the other affinity groups at McIntire. Throughout the past few semesters, we’ve hosted information sessions, resume workshops, and built a community within McIntire,” he says, referencing career fairs, headshot service, and a sharing of resources among student orgs. “We know we’re in this together, and that’s been a great experience.”
In the coming months, Sarmiento is set to join KippsDeSanto full time, aiming to blend his military and academic experiences to serve clients effectively. He also, unsurprisingly perhaps, is driven by a sense of purpose to give back and to remain connected to both the McIntire and veteran communities. “It doesn’t stop at being a student and graduating. I’m looking forward to being a mentor, being an alum, and contributing to the McIntire community, but also the veteran community here at UVA.”
