HOOKED
Computer science graduate Marco Agostini enjoys opportunities at ECU
STATISTICS
Name: Marco Agostini
College: Engineering and Technology
Major: Computer science, minor in coastal and marine studies
Age: 22
Classification/Year: Senior
Hometown: Wilson, North Carolina
Hobbies/interests: Blacksmithing, woodworking and tennis
Clubs and Organizations: ECO Pirates Club, ECU Newman
FAVORITES
Favorite hangout: Anywhere around a campfire
Favorite place on campus: Oak tree outside the Austin building
Favorite place to eat: Luna Pizza Cafe
Favorite class: Oceanography
Professor who influenced you the most: Dr. Mike Muglia and Dr. David Lagomasino in coastal and marine studies; Professor Bobby Hoggard in computer science
Favorite TV show: “The IT Crowd”
Favorite band/musician: Passenger
Favorite movie: “Watch Out, We’re Mad!”
Favorite superhero: Wolverine
MOTIVATIONS
Dream job: A career that blends my passion for the environment with my love of computer science.
Role model: My father
What advice do you have for other students? ECU is full of opportunities. Take every opportunity that you can, even if it’s not related to you major — or even your interests. You never know what you might discover.
What is something cool about ECU that you wish you knew during your first year? ECU has a lot of useful amenities for the hands-on hobbies I enjoy, like the Jenkins building for woodworking, etc., the Innovation Design Lab for 3D printing and even a metalwork seminar. I also wish I took the scuba class.
One visit to East Carolina University and Marco Agostini was hooked.
“I was really sold on the campus from the get-go,” he said. “I learned about the Honors College and the real community that ECU has — that support system and that network — and it really sold me on the university.”
Four years later, as Agostini approaches commencement, he could not have dreamed of a better educational experience. He’ll graduate with a bachelor’s in computer science and a minor in coastal and marine studies.
As an EC Scholar, Agostini said he instantly became a part of a community on campus that helped him grow as a person through service projects and friendships.
“It’s just a really great network of people who support you, and the classes have all been really beneficial as well,” he said. “… I definitely appreciate that experience and came out with a lot of good friends as well.”
Agostini said he took full advantage of all the opportunities available to him at ECU, including his participation in the Semester Experience at the Coast program in which students take classes at the Coastal Studies Institute on ECU’s Outer Banks campus in Wanchese.
Along with majoring in computer science, Agostini completed a minor in coastal and marine studies.
“Spending a whole semester at the beach is definitely a plus,” he said. “You really got that one-on-one, hands-on instruction with the professors. We actually got to go out in the field. We took water measurements and we collected species. It was really an amazing time.”
He also went to New Zealand and Australia as part of a study abroad trip.
“We visited the aboriginals and saw a lot of diverse cultures and got to immerse ourselves in them,” Agostini said. “I learned a lot but also had a great time. We saw a lot of things in nature, which I’m a big fan of. It was really great to experience the environments there and the cultures. It was a phenomenal opportunity.”
As a Boy Scout who grew up in Wilson, Agostini developed a passion for the environment. He helped grow ECU’s ECO Pirates Club to more than 100 members, serving as its vice president for two years. He is looking toward a career that combines his love for computer science and the environment.
“Computer science has always been the foundation of what I wanted to do, but my goal is to somehow combine computer science with environmental science,” said Agostini, who is deciding among job offers. “I’m still searching for good career options that fit me, that merge those two really well.”
Alexandra Nolte, a university programs associate at the Coastal Studies Institute, called Agostini “a stellar student.”
“Marco truly embodies what it means to be a Pirate, as he continually demonstrates both a passion for service and a desire to set sail for new horizons,” she said.
Along with classes, Agostini participated in research projects and received two ECU Undergraduate Research and Creativity Awards.
“ECU, especially, is full of opportunities,” he said. “And I am really grateful for the ones that I got to experience here.”
Agostini, center, celebrates ECU’s upcoming spring commencement ceremonies with fellow graduates.