The writing was on the dresser: A multigenerational USF family adds two sons to its alumni ranks

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

With parents who met, fell in love, graduated from and later helped grow the University of South Florida, it could be said the writing was on the wall that brothers Evan and Jonathan Fueyo were destined to become Bulls.

In Evan's case, however, the writing was on a piece of furniture - literally.

"When Evan was around seven, he decorated his dresser with USF stickers," his mother, Elizabeth Krystyn, said, adding with a laugh, "It did not please me. But years later, when I was excited that he wanted to go to USF, he said, 'Mom, I put all those stickers on my dresser. That's where I was always going.'"

Jonathan, his older brother, eventually followed the same path.

This May, both Fueyo brothers will graduate from USF-Evan from the Judy Genshaft Honors College with a bachelor's degree in risk management and insurance and Jonathan with a bachelor's in history.

What's more, the brothers' cousin, Sara Fueyo, is earning her bachelor's degree in mass communications. And another cousin, Jessica Fueyo, also graduated from the Judy Genshaft Honors College with her bachelor's degree in political science and government.

As USF celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, the family has become part of a growing tradition: multigenerational Bulls.

"We have friends who are big Florida State people or University of Florida people, or even alumni from elsewhere - places where there's a long family history and legacy," said their father, Rick Fueyo. "USF is still a fairly new institution, but it's starting to build that tradition, too."

Rick and Elizabeth met while attending USF together in the 1980s.

"My roommate was dating her roommate, so we were friends for a good while first," Rick said.

Elizabeth laughed as she added, "It worked out for everyone. We have two kids and our roommates have five."

Elizabeth earned a bachelor's degree in finance in 1987. Rick earned his degree in 2004 in marketing, after taking a two-decade break to pursue a career as a financial advisor.

Through it all, the couple remained Bulls through and through - regularly attending USF sporting events with their children and sending them to USF summer camps. When Evan attended a USF soccer camp, he even stayed in the same residence hall where his mother once lived.

After Elizabeth went on to co-found The Baldwin Group, a national insurance advisory firm, she became a driving force behind the company's decision to make a $5.2 million gift to establish The Baldwin Group School of Risk Management and Insurance. Part of the Muma College of Business, the school is dedicated to educating the next generation of insurance and risk management professionals.

"My parents' connection to USF played a big role in my decision," Jonathan said. "Growing up around campus, it always felt familiar-and like the right place for me."

Both brothers are now continuing to follow in their parents' footsteps.

Evan is set to join The Baldwin Group as an associate advisor.

"I was initially going to pursue a career in finance, but after an internship, I realized it wasn't for me," Evan said. "My mother suggested I try risk management and insurance, and I really loved it. I enjoy working with people, and that field is extremely relationship-driven."

Jonathan, meanwhile, plans to return to USF to pursue a master's degree in education, with the goal of becoming a history teacher like his father - who formerly served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa. That's in addition to founding Spunky Fuel, a company that designs and produces school apparel and spirit merchandise.

As for that dresser, it was donated to charity a few years ago. But the stickers were still on it.

And while the Fueyos don't know who owns it now, they hope it continues to do what it always did: Point someone toward becoming a Bull.

"I love that we're a multigenerational USF family," Rick said. "The fact that we can say we're all Bulls -and that there's the potential for my children's children to be Bulls as well - it has a nice little ring to it."