Are you BConnected?
(This article first appeared in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine, Summer 2020 edition)
Frankie Castellanos ‘15 developed his desire to network on the Belen football team. He loved talking to his teammates and coaches. That passion for connecting with others carried over into his career at a leading real estate company and has made him an active member of BConnected, Belen’s alumni networking platform.
As a starting cornerback on the Coach Stuart- led team, Castellanos developed a winning mindset that allowed him to excel on and off the field. Alongside his team, he would go on to win the District Championship with the “brotherhood within the brotherhood” that was the Belen Football team. An integral part of the team, and sports in general, is building a connection with teammates, a connection that often grows beyond the field, court, or course.
Frankie Castellanos learned all of this at Belen and took it with him to Florida State University. There, he quickly gravitated towards real estate because of how relationship-based it is. He narrowed his focus on brokerage, landing internships at two established real estate companies: Premier Fine Homes and Collier International. Those experiences only solidified his career path as he prepared to graduate in 2019. Mere months after graduating, Castellanos was working at a leading real estate company, Cushman & Wakefield. He attributes his seemingly instant career success to networking; the very skill that brought him to be such an active member of BConnected.
BConnected is Belen’s own social media platform. It launched just over a year ago in 2019 with the intent of having an overall positive impact on the alumni network. It accomplishes this through an easy-to-use interface that allows for new connections, mentorships, job postings, and other functions. It can help an alumnus find a job in their field straight out of college, build business partnerships, and/or connect old friends. As a result, BConnected is an equally valuable and relevant resource for alumni of all ages.
Among the many alumni using the platform is Frankie Castellanos who acknowledges its importance to the alumni network. As a recent college graduate, Frankie can already see the importance of the platform. Whether searching for a job or not, this new form of communication is helping alumni stay in touch or reconnect. In his case, he uses the platform not to find a job, but to strengthen his ties within the alumni network. His passion for networking has led him to seek connections with alumni for the sake of building relationships and establishing connections. He stresses that the beauty of BConnected is that everyone who uses it is there for a reason. According to Castellanos, it is easy to find people with whom to connect, and everyone with whom he connects is willing to help in some way.
Castellanos strongly urges all alumni, and especially those who are graduating in the
coming years, to get involved as soon as they can. He suggests making a profile and immediately connecting with alumni, even if not immediately seeking out a job. Doing this, he says, will give all alumni an advantage in the job search process and in their professional lives as a whole. The Belen Professional Sections - ACRES, BALS, BASH, BEAMS, BITS AND SAFE - are also on BConnected. Networking events and business resources can be found in their group pages.
Frankie Castellanos’ early professional success has allowed him a unique perspective on the power of networking in creating opportunities within one’s personal and professional life. This perspective has also allowed him to acknowledge the potential BConnected can have to greatly benefit graduating alumni and the alumni network overall. Frankie Castellanos is a testament to the vitality of the alumni network that has only grown stronger with the introduction of the new platform. Belen alumni who haven’t registered are encouraged to visit www.belenalumni.org and set up your account!
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.