Outstanding Graduate Spotlight: Tin Vastic

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) senior Tin Vastic doesn't just know the phrase "work hard, play hard." The Outstanding Graduate of the Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. College of Business embodies it every day, from the classroom to the field. In fact, the 24-year-old's love for soccer brought him from Croatia to Florida, after being recruited by the PBA Men's Soccer team.

"My time at PBA was amazing," said Vastic, who received athletic and academic scholarships and was named to the President's List twice. "I came here in 2023 as a freshman from Europe, not knowing anything about life in the U.S. or Florida, and got off to a really good start."

Getting Plugged In

Though he was far from home, Vastic fell right into PBA's tight-knit community. In addition to growing as an athlete, he formed friendships on the soccer team and even attended Fellowship for Christian Athlete meetings.

"You meet a lot of amazing guys that become family, and that definitely helped me get started in the U.S.," he says. "You meet new people in your classes, you get new teammates each year, and you meet amazing people. That was the most special thing about my time at PBA, including the amazing professors I learned a lot from."

Off the field, Vastic takes his work just as seriously. He knew he wanted to study finance in college, and since his sophomore year, he's served as a tutor in international economics, statistics, and college algebra.

On campus, he was involved in the Sailfish Fund, the University's student-managed investment fund that gives PBA students experience navigating today's financial landscape, understanding risk management, and ethical stewardship.

Last year, he joined several other peers along with Professor of Finance Dr. Ariel Viale at the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Research Challenge. The annual global equity research competition that gives students hands-on mentoring and training in financial analysis. The PBA team placed fourth.

He also completed summer internships at the high-end Marina Kaštela in Croatia 2024 and 2025. There, local business leaders mentored him and introduced him to the real working world, reinforcing the concepts he learned in the Rinker College of Business.

Culture Shock Meets Community

As a Croatian who grew up in Vienna, Austria, this community was crucial. Vastic was shocked to see how open Americans were.

"You'll have a stranger just come up and start speaking to you," he says. "I think it's nice, because you get to know new people. With the soccer team, it was easy to get integrated, because you have a guy you've never met in your life before who's getting you in the group and taking you places. That's also helped me develop my circle here in the US."

He also says he was surprised at American coffee culture, seeing people on the go instead of sitting down and enjoying coffee and conversation with others. It's something he misses most about home, as well as seeing his family regularly.

"Obviously, there are times around Christmas or the summer where I'm so ready to go home; I'm missing my family," he shares. "I'm very thankful for the support of my parents, my brother, and sister."

Looking Ahead, One Day at a Time

When Vastic learned earlier this year that he was named the Outstanding Graduate of the Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. College of Business Graduate, he was shocked and grateful.

"I definitely felt amazing; there are a lot of great students at PBA," he says. "To receive this honor means a lot to me. As an athlete, I always try to be the best I can be at everything I do. It's nice when hard work and commitment pays off."

After graduation, Tin will continue pursuing higher education. This fall, he plans to attend Boston College to play soccer at the Division I level and earn his master's degree in finance. He hopes to pursue a career in corporate finance.

His favorite verse, Hebrews 6:10-11, perhaps best encompasses his work ethic: "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized." (NIV).

"What helped me a lot was having a mentality of 'everything happens for a reason; there is a plan for you,' and when things maybe don't go the way you want them to go, there is a reason why-and it will probably turn out even better than you could have expected."

Learn about PBA's business programs at https://www.pba.edu/academics/schools/rinker-business/.