This edition of our Ranger spotlight highlights the achievements of undergraduate student Ben Cacoilo (‘26), a standout hardworking student-athlete in his third year with the baseball team.
An exceptional catcher on the field, Cacoilo’s ambition and dedication extends beyond the diamond. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance with a double minor in data science and economics, while taking on the challenge of Drew’s 4+1 dual-degree program in finance.
Determined to make the most of his time at Drew, Cacoilo plans to complete both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in just four years — three as an undergraduate and one as a graduate student.
Cacoilo has fully embraced the academic and extracurricular opportunities offered at Drew. As a student in the Baldwin Honors program, he earned multiple nominations to the dean’s list and excelled in several Bear Den presentations. Additionally, he was named to the Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Among his academic experiences, he names the nycTREC Wall Street Semester as his favorite class so far. “I have been able to learn a tremendous amount about various markets as well as have the opportunity to visit different financial institutions throughout Manhattan,” said Cacoilo.
Most recently, Cacoilo completed a summer internship with Broadfront Capital Management. He worked under both founding partners in asset and wealth management spaces. This hands-on experience gave him a broad understanding of the business and a deep dive into the accounts of a financially diverse pool of clients.
Early in his freshman year, he learned about the relaunch of The Fund, Drew’s student managed investment portfolio. Now serving as vice president, he plays a key role in managing over $60,000 in assets and helping grow the organization to more than 50 members.
His passion for finance extends beyond the classroom through valuable internship experiences. During the spring semester of his sophomore year, he worked as a program intern for W!SE. During this internship, he managed Excel spreadsheets and CRM software, participated in meetings and helped work on and optimize events.
“This allowed me to learn different financial management strategies as well as allowed me to get hands-on experience in client relations,” said Cacoilo.
Some of his best memories as a student-athlete come from the baseball team’s spring break trips to Florida. “I feel like it is very easy to get caught up with everything that is going on whether it be sports, academics or extracurriculars. This time off allows me to relax with my teammates and worry about just baseball in some better weather,” said Cacoilo.
From his perspective, being a collegiate athlete has shaped his academic success in many ways. Time management is one of the most critical skills he has developed.
“I learned how quickly you can fall behind if you do not work efficiently. Being able to better map out my workload as well as start assignments and projects earlier than I typically would have to give me time are all things I probably would not have done if I didn’t have this schedule as a student-athlete,” said Cacoilo.
With his dedication, Cacoilo exemplifies what it means to be a Ranger — excelling on the field, in the classroom and in his career pursuits.
If you would like to nominate another student-athlete to be featured in future issues, please send their name to theacorn+sports@drew.edu.
Benjamin Castro is a senior double majoring in marketing and business.
