Albert DaCosta (BS ‘98) returned to his old stomping grounds recently to discuss life after the University of Florida and offer advice for future graduates.
Now on UF’s Chemical Engineering Advisory Board, DaCosta said he held a variety of jobs growing up, including mowing grass, selling encyclopedias, cleaning movie theaters and spinning tunes as a DJ. He approached these jobs with, he said, a “seize-the-opportunity-with any-opportunity” attitude he utilizes to this day.
These early work experiences taught him that many pathways are possible over your career and lifetime, he told the students during his UF talk in March. After graduation, he worked as a medical sales representative before co-founding Paragon 28 in 2010 — a small, family based orthopedic foot and ankle company. The name “Paragon” was chosen because it means excellence, while “28” was chosen because there are 28 bones in a foot.
In his presentation, he described himself as a “balanced student” who studied hard and socialized. He said he had four job offers after graduation, in part because he worked at perfecting his interviewing skills. He attended every career fair and interviewed with every company he could find. Before each interview, he studied the companies and reviewed potential interview questions to prepare.
“The most important thing you can do is be passionate, whether that is about the job or a personal interest you may be asked about,” he told the students, noting he has interviewed over 5,000 applicants.
He bases many of his decisions — personal and professional — on family values and experiences. He recalled the time he could not obtain a small business loan, so he tapped into his life savings and recruited his mother as his first investor.
As Paragon 28 became a success, his mother remained at his side — particularly at the New York Stock Exchange ringing the bell when the company went public.
“You must challenge yourself to be uncomfortable every day so that you will grow as a person,” he told the students, noting he was comfortable in medical sales but realized he was not growing as an engineer.
Making meaningful solutions is at the heart of everything he does. DaCosta started his career worried about his own success but learned along the way that making others around him successful was just as important.