Always Striving for More

In a few short weeks, Pforzheimer Honors College student Anthony Moretto will graduate from Pace University with no shortage of accomplishments.

In the classroom, Anthony has been exemplary—he’s posted a near-perfect 3.96 cumulative GPA, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance at Lubin. Yet, it’s been his uncanny ability to combine his academic interests with becoming an on-campus leader in Pleasantville that has captured the attention of his peers and professors, enabling to earn the highly coveted 2024 Trustee Award.

“I attribute my drive to pure love of everything I do here,” says Anthony. “I have taken my e-board positions and jobs as a privilege. Being able to take classes in the university setting and learn on a higher level is also a great privilege.”

“I have taken my e-board positions and jobs as a privilege. Being able to take classes in the university setting and learn on a higher level is also a great privilege.”

One of the roles he’s most known for is the General Manager of Pace Perk Mart, the ever-popular convenience store at the heart of the Pleasantville Campus. Having initially served as the assistant finance manager tasked with cash and dining dollar accounting, Anthony worked his way up to the GM position, through which he has led a group of roughly a dozen student employees in all facets of business, from day-to-day operations to building a great company culture. Pace Perk is part of Pace’s Center of Student Enterprise, through which students can gain crucial experience managing student-operated businesses. By partaking in this unique experiential learning opportunity, Moretto will be graduating one-step ahead of the competition, all while admirably serving the Pace Community.

He’s also been an instrumental to the increasing popularity of the Pace Pleasantville Investment Club; over the course of his time at Pace, Anthony has helped grow the club and strengthen its operations by instituting budgetary and management systems that have helped it become a major presence on campus. As President, he created numerous investment presentations, coordinated with major financial institutions such as JPMorgan and Barclays to organize events, and much more. He also served as the treasure of the Pace University Programming Board, managing a budget of $55,000 per semester.

“There are a few events and achievements that I am very proud of here,” recalls Anthony. “Helping to successfully plan the Springfest carnival two years in a row is definitely up there. I had an event where I had Barclays come speak to investment club with around 40 attendees, which was one of my proudest events. Turning great profits at Pace Mart and nurturing a large team as general manager is also a great point of pride.”

While Anthony’s individual accomplishments are impressive, he credits his strong support system—both from his family as well as his friends and colleagues at Pace—as crucial in helping him develop the work ethic that has enabled him to thrive as a Setter.

“I believe a lot of my drive comes from the way I was raised. My father’s motto is ‘I did it yesterday’ and I try to match that enthusiasm and work ethic. The love and support I have been given by family and friends also pushes me to strive for greatness. My grandparents didn’t uproot from Italy and come to America for me to shoot for mediocrity.”

Anthony is excited to continue to push boundaries in the future, as he pursues a career in the financial word; he’s currently weighing where exactly in the investment field he’d like to most make an impact, which will dictate his next steps in terms of certifications and licensing. Having recently presented his Honors Thesis that centered around using CRSP returns data and Bloomberg ESG data for the companies of the S&P 500 to determine the relationship between ESG disclosures and returns, he’s set himself up well to dive into some of the industry’s most pertinent and future-forward issues.

While Anthony will be moving on to professional pursuits instead of returning to Pace this coming fall, his influence will remain strong on the Pleasantville Campus as he passes the baton to the next generation of Setters ready to make an impact.

“Loving what I do here and how it positively impacts the people around me gave me the drive to do the things I did,” concludes Anthony. “My advice for new students is to get involved, but not to over-extend yourselves. Get the most out of your college experience, make friends, go to events, and strive for greatness.”