Extraordinary Difference: Gino Fernandes II

On Dec. 31, 2021, NC State’s five-year Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign came to an incredibly successful close. Alumni, friends, employees and more helped propel the university well past its goal of $1.6 billion for a grand total of $2,103,932,120. These new funds will help drive NC State’s land-grant mission of creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for all by both reaffirming its commitment to broad educational opportunity and powering its cutting-edge, hands-on innovation as North Carolina’s leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) university.

Gino Fernandes II ’20, aka King Gino, is one of the many students who have been benefited by this historic fundraising effort. Gino is a microbiologist-rapper who discovered his passion and career path while attending NC State. The university empowered this first-generation college student to not only graduate but also earn numerous awards along the way.

By sharing his story and being an advocate for other students during the Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign, Gino has helped raise awareness and inspire donors to create new funds such as the Extraordinary Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. He has also shown that the campaign has uniquely positioned NC State and its students to combine the arts and sciences like never before.

“I think what’s made me successful in the music business is approaching it scientifically,” Gino said. “You have to have a hypothesis, do research and then communicate your findings effectively.”

“It’s taught me so much about leadership,” he added. “And getting paid to do music has driven me to want to get better at it.”

To read more stories of campaign success, visit our Think and Do the Extraordinary page.

This post was originally published in Giving News.