RECognition: Angelo Belardo, Events
Recreation's monthly series to highlight and celebrate our staff
By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director
If you ever find yourself working with Angelo Belardo, you’re probably going to have a good time.
“Angelo is the life of the party every time he is on shift,” Kevin McGlone, Recreation’s Event Operations Coordinator, says. “He is the friendliest face we have on our team and always makes others feel welcomed and happy to come to work.”
McGlone says Angelo’s attitude embodies one of REC’s main values: Fun. Quite frankly, it’s a role Angelo — an Events Operations Assistant since the fall of 2024 — embraces.
“I actually take a lot of pride in that,” says Angelo, a fourth-year in Marshall. “I try to make every shift I'm a part of as not-quiet as possible because it makes the shifts shorter and more fun (at least for me). It's never a dull moment being around the people I work with, and I owe it all to them for letting me feel comfortable enough to just act out.”
Angelo is part of our Events team that sets up for happenings at our REC facilities, including Division I sports games, commencement ceremonies, and special events such as the Sun God Festival. Angelo and his Events colleagues are constantly on the go, which fits his personality perfectly.
"What made me want to join REC involved my drive to always be active,” Angelo says. “When I learned that this job required a good amount of lifting and walking, I knew that this was a good way to stay active while being a college student dealing with stress.
“Also, like every job-seeking college kid, I wanted experience and money.”
The experience has come in spades, including his personal REC highlight of Meet the Beach in 2025, where he watched the sunrise with his coworkers — “while also drinking lots of energy drinks.”
“My favorite part about working in REC is for sure the relationships that I've built with everyone around me,” he says. “From all of our managers to our co-workers, we're all a very close group that has lots of fun doing what we do.”
When he’s not working, Angelo is also involved with TREND Magazine, where he’s the co-director of Web Development.
“I, along with another director, lead a team of designers/developers to improve upon and make changes for our organization's website,” says Angelo, who’s set to graduate this spring with a degree in interdisciplinary computing and the arts. “I think this is very aligned with my career goals because it involves group collaboration and development.”
You can also find him at Raising Cane's in Mira Mesa, his go-to spot after a bit of friendly competition and camaraderie, such as Intramural Sports or — more recently — rock climbing.
“I’ve recently been loving rock climbing with a group of friends because it keeps me active while I'm also able to yap away,” he says.
You see? Life of the party, indeed.
