Class of 2021 graduate with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Finance, a member of the Men’s Soccer team and part of the 2017 MAAC Championship team.
Getting to Know Fernando Robayo ’21
Why Fairfield?
It started with being recruited. Fairfield came after me to play soccer, and from the first conversation, it was clear this was a place that didn’t make me choose between the things I cared about.
I wanted to compete at the Division I level, but I also knew soccer wouldn’t last forever—and I didn’t want to wake up at 22 with a trophy and no idea what came next. Fairfield offered both: a real academic environment, high-level athletics, and a community small enough that people knew my name.
What I didn’t expect was how much that last part would matter. The recruiting pitch got me in the door, but it was the people who made me stay.
By the time I graduated, Fairfield had quietly become something I never wanted to walk away from.
How I Stay Involved Today
Today, I serve on the Fairfield University Friends of Men’s Soccer Committee as Fundraising Chair, helping lead the program’s annual alumni golf outing and our broader fundraising efforts.
When we started in January 2023, there wasn’t much to build on—no real infrastructure, no annual rhythm, just a group of people who missed each other and believed the program deserved more. Since then, what began as an idea has grown into an annual event that reconnects former players, families, and supporters while raising meaningful money for the team.
Beyond the outing, I try to help however I can with alumni engagement more broadly—creating ways for former student-athletes to reconnect with Fairfield, support current players, and stay part of the community that shaped us.
What Keeps Me Coming Back
It’s the people. Every year, there’s this feeling in the room—half of us quietly wishing we could go back, none of us wanting the day to end. That feeling is exactly what lit a fire in me to keep everyone connected and coming back to town.
“A program isn’t built in a season—it’s built across generations. Every group inherits something from the players before them and owes something to the ones who come next.”
Some of the most meaningful relationships of my life came through Fairfield and Fairfield Athletics. Being part of a team teaches you that you’re never really the whole story—you’re one link in something much longer than your four years. As our saying goes, “It’s not the four years, it’s the 40 after.”
Staying involved is how I give back to a place that had an outsized impact on who I became, and how I help keep the line between alumni and the current program unbroken.
And I’ll be honest—it’s so much more than golf. If you’re an alum on the fence, or a friend of an alum, just come once. The next outing is October 23, 2026, and one Friday afternoon with this group tells you everything about why we keep doing it. Grab your friends and email me at frobayo17@gmail.com—I’ll make sure you’re in.
What I Hope This Builds
My hope is that we build something that outlives any single event or campaign—real, lasting infrastructure that keeps creating value long after the checks are cashed and the scorecards are put away.
For Fairfield Men’s Soccer specifically, the goal is a stronger alumni network, deeper engagement, and sustainable fundraising that directly improves the experience of current and future student-athletes. I want this program to be financially secure enough to recruit the best talent and become a consistent top-10 team in the country. That’s ambitious—I know it. But with this team and these alumni beside me, I’m confident going after it.
“Money matters. But a community that shows up—that takes ownership—will always compound further than a single donation.”
More than anything, I hope our efforts show what’s possible when alumni stay connected, take ownership, and put their time, relationships, and experience back into the place that gave them so much.
My Advice to Fellow Alumni and Friends
Start with something realistic—and honestly, start with something you actually enjoy. For me, that’s golf. Find the thing you love, then attach a real reason to it: a reason to bring everyone together and give back at the same time. Ours is simple—raise money for the Men’s Soccer team and have a genuinely great day doing it.
Here’s the part people get wrong: staying connected almost never starts with a big check. It starts with showing up.
Come to a game. Text an old teammate you’ve lost touch with. Mentor a current player for 20 minutes. Support an alumni event. Introduce a potential sponsor. Or just reach out and ask, “Where do you need help?” None of that requires a fortune—it requires a decision.
“Small actions turn into real momentum when enough people take them. The only thing that truly matters is that you stay in the picture—because every single one of us has something worth giving.”
About Fernando
Fernando Robayo is a former Fairfield University Men’s Soccer student-athlete and 2017 MAAC champion. For the past four years, he has owned a technology consulting company focused on government-sector grant initiatives serving public K–12 school districts and healthcare facilities across the United States. As a value-added reseller, Fernando helps schools and hospitals secure the networking, cybersecurity, and technology resources they need through grant funding.
As Fundraising Chair of the Fairfield University Friends of Men’s Soccer Committee, Fernando and his fellow alumni have built a sustainable engagement and fundraising platform that has raised more than $100,000 for the program.
Outside of work, Fernando is happiest bringing people together—whether it’s a weekend round at his home golf club in Port Washington, a pickup soccer game or pickleball match, or the next trip on the calendar. He is drawn to entrepreneurship and time with family and friends and remains passionate about building communities and creating opportunities for others—the same things Fairfield once did for him.
Become A Monarch
The Friends of Fairfield Athletics Monarch Program is a giving society exclusively for Athletics alumni interested in enhancing a varsity program of their choice and the student-athlete experience.
