Alumni Spotlight: Vincent Asante

Alumni Spotlight- Vincent Asante

By Devon Christopher Corry

“THE TRENDY TROUBLESHOOTING TYCOON”

I said it once, and I’ll say it again, University is known as the school of celebs!
We have a plethora of talent that attend and have graduated, leaving their mark on this Home of the Phoenix.
One thing that our University alumni do post-graduation is giving back to their community, whether that be blessing
your ears with some amazing music to listen to, being the active mayor, becoming a principal at the Home of the Phoenix,
or you could be a high maintenance technician for those in the entire Essex County area. Accidents happen as we all know
but our next interviewee makes all those problems go away.

Whether you have a cracked screen, need amenities for the lowest price, or even a little business expertise, he is the man to talk to.
Let’s not mention how he has knowledge beyond his years, and his sense of style and trendiness will definitely turn many heads.
The thing about him that’s even more fascinating is that it is only the beginning for him.
To top everything off, I think it’s nothing but necessary to reiterate that he is a University alum, so if you didn’t believe you
could be successful after high school, then you are wrong. So without further ado, I am overjoyed and honored to introduce the one and only Mr. Vincent Asante.

Dreams are what you make them out to be. Only you can really want it because you are going to be the one to get it.

That is something that they continuously try to instill in us while we are are in high school, just moments away from adulthood.

What I want to know is what success did you have after high school?

After high school, I attended NJIT, majoring in computer science. When it comes to projects I had a bunch of programming projects in languages like python, java, C & C++.

I started a repair business called electronic repairs in high school. It wasn’t too big, it was pretty much a

hobby. But since graduation, it has grown on a larger scale. I pretty much fix the majority of the electronics in the

Essex County area. I have added an unlocking service to the business as part of the expansion.

I have also started a company called Asante International LLC, which is an import and export business. It was first started to manufacture baby diapers, adult diapers, and pull-ups. The plans for it quickly changed as things were not going too well in the few months. I managed to change the focus and to get home appliances, electronics, clothing, televisions, pretty much anything you can name at a discounted price

People take lessons and apply them to life in the way that they see fit. University definitely teaches all students many
lessons that will apply to life later, when it comes to living in the real world.
This all goes to the question, how did University prepare you for the real world that came after high school?

University prepares you for some of the workloads you will receive in college. I feel like University could’ve been a little more intensive on their material in preparation for college. However, when it comes to the real world, the teachers & guidance counselors gave great on how to handle real-life situations. The dos & don’ts. I still remember an investment & real estate seminar that helped me in the business world.

After going after your dreams, and actually put them into existence, there is no doubt that anyone successful has had no form of downfall. This will cause you to be resilient and rise from defeat. Watching others fall can cause people to be scared of following in their footsteps. What advice do you have for people trying to take off with their own business venture?

The road to success is not easy or fast. You have to take it day by day one step at a time. Don’t let failure discourage you because if you fail you’ll never learn. 

No matter what, there is always some form of drive that you must have to roll out of bed every day, even when you feel the need to give up. Usually, there is a someone, or a something that gives you a boost but also makes you hungry all at the same time. So, I must ask what/who motivates you to get up every day and chase after your dreams?

The fact that I know people are counting on me. I want to be the one to pave the way for my siblings & future kids. To make their route a little easier. I want to not just build a great empire but to inspire others too. A quote that keeps me going is “you got to want it as bad as you want to breathe” - Eric Thomas

Early I spoke about there are times where you feel that you are at an all-time low when it comes to the business, but sometimes there are struggles that happen before the big come up. What hardships did you face during high school?

The ability to stay focus when nonsense is happening. Not to be in the mix.

Aside from all the business talk, let’s kick back a little bit, and talk about the fun times that you had at the U! And yes I do say “times” with an “s” on the end because there are so many of them to be remembered. What I want to know from you is your experience. What is your most memorable moment here at University?

I remember the home game against Livingston; Kyle inbounded the ball to me, I hit the defender with a curl cross, I got the ooos & ahhhs from the crowd, I passed the ball to Zamir he gave it back to me for the open 3 & the crowd went crazy.

As far as I can remember, you were very involved when it came to being apart of University teams. You always had something on your plate. That was a couple years ago, so remind us what sports, clubs and/or organizations were you a part of while at University?

Varsity Basketball Player

Boys Basketball Manager

Baseball Team

Law Academy

No doubt, we can’t go back and change the past, especially when it comes to fixing our mistakes. If we could, that would be amazing. If you could do high school all over again what is something that you would do differently? If I could do high school all over I’ll do better my freshmen year. I would go harder for a higher GPA because that’s the reason why I fell short of the top 25. I was #27. That was an accomplishment I wanted to achieve but my GPA from freshman year made me for short.

Any current/upcoming projects that we can look to see your name on? Hopefully a big project with a company. But right now small programming projects in school. Hopefully, I’ll come out with my own app by the end of the year

Vincent, you are a powerhouse here in the Essex County area, and you definitely have a lot going for yourself. There is no way that you have any time to slow down at this point. You have always been a go-getter, and I highly believe that your work ethic can definitely rub off on many of the students here at University High School. We know that the business world isn’t easy, and you let us know that the struggle is real, but it is worth the success that will come later. If you ever need a hookup on some furniture, technology, repairs, and much more, Vincent is your man to go to. Don’t just take it from me either; add his business pages on Instagram @electronicrepairs, @asanteinternational and @timelessmotorsports! I am Devon Christopher Corry and that right there is your exclusive alumni interview. Signing off!