When James Sarmiento and Jacinto Alfaro-Martinez stepped into John Starkey’s Business 103 class, they embarked on a path to new areas of study, prestigious internships, and securing big money for student scholarships.

“John Starkey’s class was the very first time I stepped into a classroom in my freshman year,” remembered Sarmiento, now a senior. “Without that class, I would not be where I am today.”

Making a major donor pitch was not on his bucket list, he said. But last spring, he and Alfaro-Martinez got a call from Starkey, asking them to present to the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation. Lee Business School’s Department of Finance was launching a degree program in insurance and risk management. Starkey’s assignment for the two students now: Help secure $650,000 to support student scholarships to drive interest in the groundbreaking new major.

The Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation was instrumental in founding the business school’s Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management through a $5 million gift in 2023. Named for Thomas F. Kerestesi, former president of the historic Cragin & Pike Insurance Agency, the center provides a pipeline to an industry in need of new and diverse talent.

The Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation has a long history of supporting UNLV scholarships. The organizations were initially connected through former alumnus of the year Greg McKinley, chair of both the Kerestesi Center’s Board of Advisors and the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation. McKinley is chairman emeritus of Cragin & Pike and served on the UNLV Foundation and Alumni Association boards. 

The students’ presentation made a powerful impression, Nevada Surplus Lines board members Justin Manning and Quincy Branch said. Leaders in the Las Vegas insurance industry, they regularly evaluate foundation funding requests.

“They made a personal connection,” Manning said. “Their authenticity… opened the door.”

“We really got captivated by the story,” Branch added. “Hearing their background resonated with us. Once they left, around the table the question was, ‘We’re doing this, so how much?'"

Preparing for Success

For Sarmiento and Alfaro-Martinez the experience felt like flow. They had spent days working on their PowerPoint, hunkered down in the Student Union with help from fellow student worker Katie Nguyen. They were suited up and ready. 

“John [Starkey] started the presentation and then transitioned to us,” Alfaro-Martinez said. "I remember when I was speaking, everyone was focused on me, and I was making eye contact. I did feel confident when it was over, but I didn’t realize in the moment how impactful it was. And how important it was for us to be in that room.”

Sarmiento admitted he was nervous. “We walked in and I was like, ‘Oh wow. This is real. I’m in the conference room right now with Tom Kerestesi and Greg McKinley.’ But I was confident, because I knew there was truth to what I was saying.” 

McKinley and Kerestesi greeted them, along with Manning, Branch, and the other board members. “I thought they would be scary, ruthless businessmen,” Sarmiento said. “But they were cool. It was more like a discussion."

He followed the advice of Chris Utterback, then-director of the Kerestesi Center. “He said, ‘Just be yourself’ and that helped me calm my nerves.”

How Donations Create Opportunities

Alfaro-Martinez talked about being a first-generation student and his hardworking parents, who emigrated to America and lost their business in the 2008 recession, eventually rebuilding it after many difficult years. He described a childhood shaped by financial hardship, in which his parents emphasized education. And the Upward Bound program, which introduced him to both UNLV and the very idea of college. With no role models to guide him, the program became a turning point. 

A former community organizer, he is now a triple major in accounting, finance, and insurance and risk management. He recently completed an internship at Ernst & Young and works as a student associate in the Kerestesi Center. 

Scholarships and financial aid made his story possible, Alfaro-Martinez told the board. “I am a prime example of a student who had potential but lacked the financial ability to open these doors. But UNLV has so many of these stories. If you believe in my story, you should recognize that many more exist. I’m not a unicorn, every one of these students deserves the same opportunities I’ve been given.”

Relieving the financial burden allows students to focus on their studies and truly thrive, he said.

Sarmiento talked about the power of education and financial support in his life. Born and raised in the Philippines, he moved to Las Vegas in 2013. College was never a certainty, as his family couldn’t afford tuition, he said. Scholarships made his higher education possible. 

Now, as a peer mentor, he supports first-year students. He will graduate in 2026 with a finance degree and will intern this fall at Cragin & Pike. 

“Someday I hope to give back to UNLV financially, to help other students benefit from the kind of opportunities that changed the trajectory of my life,” he said.

Both students are leaders in the UNLV chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, an international fraternity for insurance, risk management, and actuarial science professionals. Alfaro-Martinez serves as president, Sarmiento as vice president. Both are active campus leaders and have received financial awards from the Kerestesi Center. 

Their stories resonated with Manning, who overcame his own struggles to succeed. He attended UNLV for three years in the 1990s but left before graduation to work and raise a family. After his successful mortgage business waned, he delivered pizza and washed windows to pay the bills. He went into insurance for a more stable career.

“We all go through hard times and challenges to get where we are,” Manning said. “The students were so vulnerable and so real, I just wanted to help them succeed.”

Continuing the Legacy of Giving Back

Branch, ’00 BSBA Business Management, saw an opportunity to make a difference. “I’m in that phase of life right now. Everything I think about, everything I do, points to ‘What’s going to be the impact?’”

For the students, the experience of spontaneously and authentically sharing their stories was life changing. “I don’t use a script for presentations anymore,” Sarmiento said. "It meant a lot to stand in that room and ask for funding that could change the lives of students like me. This wasn't just a pitch, it was a chance to pay it forward."

Starkey said the students were critical in securing the gift, which will support the first cohort of insurance and risk management juniors and seniors with up to $10,000 per year. (The new donation brought the Foundation’s total support for UNLV scholarships to $735,000, as it already contributes $85,000 annually to the business school through an NSHE endowment.)

“They literally created the presentation,” he said. “Everyone was emotional in the room. I couldn’t have walked in there as a staff member and got that money. These students got us that money to support future students.”

“Their professionalism, preparation, and enthusiasm left a lasting impression on the board. It was an incredible learning experience for both James and Jacinto, and a proud moment for our program."