One New York University student is going viral after admitting they spend $500 commuting every weekend to a six-month hospitality internship — in Naples, Florida.
Vincent Campanaro, a first-year student at NYU’s Stern School of Business, appeared on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” last week to talk about the decision to work for the semester at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida.
“There’s multiple layers to this, actually,” Campanaro said, adding that it was a “complete coincidence” that he ended up in Florida.
“The internship market in general is incredibly competitive right now,” he said on the program. “So, you’ve got people applying with, say, perfect test scores, perfect GPA, everything, and they send 200 applications, and they don’t get a single offer.”
It’s a decision that he estimates will cost $10,000 by the time the internship is over.
Campanaro flies down to Florida after his classes end at 12:15 p.m. on Fridays and will come back to New York at 9 p.m. on Sundays.
“There have been times where I had to sleep at the airport or just book a completely different flight because my flight price increased,” Campanaro admitted. “[But] I’ve learned so much.”
The Ritz Carlton Naples is a luxe, five-star beach hotel on Florida’s West Coast. Rooms can start at over $1,000 a night during the peak Winter season. The hotel reopened in July 2023 after an extensive renovation that began in 2021.
Campanaro is not the first worker to open up about “supercommuting” to offset a competitive market and costs of living.
In January, Wall Street Journal journalist Chip Cutter revealed that he commutes weekly from Columbus, Ohio, to work in his New York City office three out of five working days.
A 21-year-old corporate marketing intern named Sophia Celentano also went viral over the summer after revealing that she was commuting by plane from Charleston, South Carolina to Newark, New Jersey once a week when she was required to be in the office for her internship.
Related: ‘Oddly Thrilling’: Reporter Says He Super Commutes from Ohio to New York City Every Week
Still, Campanaro believes that despite the cost and lengthy commute, it’s worth it for the sake of potential future opportunities.
“Despite the challenges of traveling thousands of miles monthly, the rewards have been immeasurable,” Campanaro said. “Plus, the connections I have made, both within the company and in the broader community—many of whom come from backgrounds different from mine—have significantly broadened my perspective.”
