Next Stop for NJIT Highlander: University of Florida to Master Finance and Win Matches
A passion for business grew for Pablo Perez Ramos at New Jersey Institute of Technology and spurred him to now pursue a master’s in finance at the University of Florida.
His choice of graduate school also reveals his love for tennis, as UF won a national team championship in 2021 when now 13th ranked pro Ben Shelton played there. You see, Perez Ramos, who tallied an impressive 73-21 record in singles matches as a Highlander, will continue to compete as a Gator.
So, as he bolsters his academic credentials, he’ll chase his dream of becoming a top 100 player in the world.
“Florida has always been a dream to me. When I first came to NJIT, Florida won the national championship and from there I’ve always wanted to be there,” said Perez Ramos, a member of NJIT's Class of 2025 who majored in business with a concentration in marketing at the university’s Martin Tuchman School of Management. “Also, playing for Head Coach Adam Steinberg and the possibility of attending and turning pro were huge factors.”
Perez Ramos, who grew up on Spain’s Canary Islands, credits his father for sparking his interest in the sport: “Once I was born, he put a tennis racket in my hand.” Here are five other nuggets about him and his life in University Heights.
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As a junior, he was NJIT’s Male Athlete of the Year. That year, he won 23 of his 29 singles matches, 24 of his 31 doubles matches with Wil Jenkins and became captain of the team.
His internship blended business with sports. For executive assistant provider Athena in the summer of 2023, he helped book transportation and lodging for Arsenal FC and arrange food for coaches at the Rafa Nadal Academy.
Maria Salmeron was a key mentor. Salmeron, who teaches courses such as Introduction to Business and Business Law I, “made sure that I didn’t have any problem understanding the lectures,” said Perez Ramos, who spoke little English when he arrived on campus in 2021.
His favorite tennis player is fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles. “I grew up watching him play and he is my idol,” Perez Ramos said.
Language was his biggest adjustment to living in Newark. As he put it: “I could not speak or understand English and now I can say, I’m almost bilingual.”
