Opportunity: noun – a favorable juncture of circumstances or a good chance for advancement or progress (Merriam-Webster). 

Some might conclude that Elio Celentino’s (ex. BS 2025) success while at the University of Iowa culminated from favorable circumstances. However, those who know him well, or listen carefully to his story, will instead conclude that his mindset—calibrated for advancement or progress in any task or challenge—is the source of his success. 

A resident of San Diego with family ties to Kansas City and the Midwest, Elio’s college search found him seeking an institution that offered a sport management program alongside a finance degree. A Hawkeye Football victory at the 2019 Holiday Bowl, which he attended with his family clad in black and gold, helped Elio include the University of Iowa on his list of schools. During his college search process, other institutions could not guarantee that finishing a dual degree in four years was possible. The University of Iowa admissions office said it was possible. That statement, and meaningful scholarship support, led Elio to becoming a Hawkeye. 

Arriving with an open mind 

While Elio was excited to begin his college career in fall 2021, he prepared for his first semester not knowing anyone on campus. Having received his @uiowa.edu email, he saw a high school counselor's recommendation to frequently check messages as an opportunity to prepare and identify connections prior to arrival in Iowa City. Thankfully, a message from UI Housing & Dining that provided an opportunity to join a Living Learning Community (LLC) caught his eye. 

I was admitted to UI late and didn’t have a chance to visit or participate in traditional orientation because of COVID. Joining the LLC provided me the opportunity to be in a newer dorm (Petersen Hall) with likeminded individuals who wanted to work in sport and recreation. Joining the UISRM LLC was one of my best decisions: it provided me close friendships, people who I lived with in subsequent years. It also provided me memorable experiences at Hawkeye Field Hockey (storming the field) and Women’s Basketball (Carver Arena tour and my first Carver Cone). 

Elio credits the friendships with David Robert Hoover, Julian Oleson Gomez, Patrick Fulgaro, and Sam Plumb as being a strong foundation on which to build. Enrollment in the LLC course in common, Contemporary Issues in Sport, informed Elio of volunteer opportunities at Hawkeye Athletics events which provided evidence of engagement in sport and recreation to help unlock other opportunities. Participation in the LLC also provided him interaction with SRM faculty (Anna Jensen, Packy Moran, and Alex Voss) early in his time on campus. 

One of the other opportunities presented to Elio through membership in the UISRM LLC, was to pursue a leadership position within the Associated Residence Hall (ARH) organization People of Petersen. ARH organizations on campus feature leadership teams to promote growth, connection, and awareness among students. Sarah Solberg, Petersen’s Hall Coordinator, encouraged Elio to apply to grow his skills and network on campus. Of serving as President, People of Peterson, Elio had this to say: 

Being seen as a leader among residents at Petersen helped me build deeper community among the UISRM LLC, but also among all residents. Beyond that, serving through People of Petersen helped me build skills in budgeting and communication, which I knew would become important skills for a role in sport and recreation. 

As Elio pursued his ambitious academic aim of earning dual degrees in four years, he found himself taking one of the UISRM core courses, Sales in Sport, in just his second semester on campus. A key assignment in the class is to interview two sport sales professionals and compare their use of sales strategies. Admittedly not enthusiastic about the assignment, Elio came away from conversations with individuals at the Pacers and Padres energized and motivated to meet more professionals in the industry. 

The class and assignment affirmed that I didn’t want to work in sales. However, I found that the professionals I spoke to enjoyed talking about what they do and that I learned of knowledge and skills that would help me in my pursuits. I decided to continue to connect with professionals and learn from them. In a conversation with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Dalton Blackwell, he encouraged me to apply for their summer training camp internship. Despite being the youngest intern, I sold the most Kids Club memberships and was recognized as Intern MVP. 

Planning for the future 

Elio’s cousins Jordan Allen and Anthony Joyner played football at San Jose State and New Mexico State, respectively. While playing on the gridiron wasn’t in Elio’s future, his cousins informed him that student managers played a key role in their success on the field. Having a passion for the sport for as long as he can remember and learning of the role of a student manager within a collegiate football team while in high school, Elio sketched out a roadmap for his college career. 

After committing to the University of Iowa but prior to arriving on campus, Elio contacted Ben Hansen, who at the time was Iowa’s Assistant Director of Football Operations, to inquire about Iowa’s football student manager program. While Elio learned that students in their first year on campus aren’t considered for the program, Ben encouraged Elio to focus on coursework and maintain communication. 

During his first year at Iowa, Elio was able to observe what life for a football student manager entailed. His roommate, second year student Sam Plumb, demonstrated the commitment (up to 50-hour work weeks) and sacrifices (selectivity of social activities) required for success in the role. On applying to the Football Operations Student Manager program, Elio said this: 

I’m thankful I had my first year on campus to focus on coursework and make connections through the LLC. That said, I was committed to becoming a student manager. I maintained communication with Ben Hansen and talked to Sam frequently to learn the internal hierarchy of the team and how to prioritize responsibilities to be a successful manager and student. After applying and participating in the spring 2022 observational period, I started as a Football Operations Manager in August of 2022. 

As a Football Operations Student Manager, Elio works with wide receivers and special teams to help run practices. He also assists in recruiting and Hawkeye Legacy (alumni) events in several capacities. Furthermore, he helps fuel the athletes by scheduling meals and ordering all beverages for the facility. By performing these duties with outstanding results, Elio earned the title of Head Football Operations Manager for the 2024-25 season. On top of duties discussed, he is leading the hiring process for the 2025-26 season. 

In addition to his coursework and serving as Head Football Operations Student Manager this school year, Elio and his good friend, David Robert Hoover, created the SRM Student Mentor program. The duo pride themselves on being dependable and seeing opportunities to learn in each assignment, task, or challenge. Their hope is to assemble other third- and fourth-year students who hold the same values and equip them to instill their approach into first- and second-year students. Interested mentors and mentees are encouraged to contact Elio (elio-celentino@uiowa.edu) and David (david-hoover@uiowa.edu). 

Now under two months from graduation, Elio is savoring this semester’s lighter academic load and the responsibility of selecting and preparing the next class of Football Operations Student Managers. As he finalizes plans following graduation, the UISRM community is excited to celebrate Elio’s accomplishments and upcoming success. We applaud his belief and approach that there is opportunity in everything and hope more UISRM students adopt this mindset through the SRM Student Mentor program.