STUDENT, ATHLETE, AND ENTREPRENEUR, CSI'S NATALIA SANDOR IS DOING IT ALL

Drive. Passion. Desire to excel and do well. The ability to push one’s self to new levels.

These are the qualities that make up a student-athlete.

But they are also the qualities that make up an entrepreneur.

Natalia Sandor is a senior on the College of Staten Island soccer team. She is a student in the Macaulay Honors College at the College of Staten Island. And she is also the owner of a startup entitled Sand Bars Handcrafted, a gourmet ice cream sandwich with roots tied to her Bayport home.

If Sandor had to be summed up in just three words, she would be described as ambitious, nonstop, and compassionate. She walks across campus with a swagger unmatched, owning everything she does. Fire in her eyes and kindness in her heart.

Sandor's startup story is one of perseverance.  While many of her friends were soaking up the summer sun and enjoying the break between the school year, Sandor could be found selling her bars at festivals, eventually working up enough funds and product to sell Sand Bars to restaurants in the Hamptons were celebrities like Alec Baldwin have enjoyed them.

"The advice that I have for anyone who wants to 'do their own thing' is to stop talking and be a doer," she says.  "There are always going to be questions and what-ifs or things that can and will go wrong, but you just have to start.  Some people spend their whole lives talking about what they want to do, and they don't get to do it because they're too busy busy talking about it."

Being a college student is hard enough on its own. You must work tirelessly to ensure good grades, be dedicated to your classwork, and balance your assignments with your classes, work, and a social life. But managing your own small business on top of that? As well as being the captain of your college soccer team? It almost seems impossible.

But Sandor seems to handle it with ease.

As a student in the Macaulay Honors College at the College of Staten Island, ambition runs through Sandor’s blood more so than that Mint Chip she so dearly loves.

But just like any good startup, there are some hurdles that must be jumped, the biggest being production and keeping up with the high demand for her product.  But Sandor contends that this is where soccer came into play for her. Her business became all about accountability. Being on time and being determined to see things through to the end are a lot like being in a game. The importance of having a team and knowing people are always behind you to pick you up or help you out became clear.  Carrying your own responsibilities to that is also critical, and Sandor sees the parallels.  

College of Staten Island Women's Soccer Alumni Catherine Mulligan reflects on Sandor's work ethic and her penchant for seeing things through and how it has paid dividends.   "She has a crazy amount of opportunities that she made for herself, and it's because she has an insane drive that never stops," Mulligan said.  "She works hard to make every day count, and she has a way of crushing every obstacle that comes flying at her." 

While Sand Bars has been truly successful so far, Sandor doesn’t really see herself sticking with it forever. Rather, she is looking at this as a learning experience in which she can grow into a better business owner. She acknowledges that this is something that could be big, but ultimately, she sees herself selling the company one day. But not before she sees it fill its full potential.

In the meantime, Sandor is working towards a Business degree at the College of Staten Island. Business was an easy choice of major due to its versatility, according to Sandor.

“The degree in Business is essentially the study of people and how they interact with the world. It has to do with keeping up with the world too, creating products that people will like," she noted.  "If you aren’t going to be something specific like a teacher or a nurse, a business degree includes the most amount of skills.  English, technology, interpersonal skills, It's the whole shebang. As someone who doesn’t want to be put in boxes, it helps me be open to other options.”

 If there’s one thing Sandor doesn’t want to do, it’s limit herself. And why should she? Look at all she has accomplished within the last few years. 

Classes such as Accounting 2 have been truly helpful as Sandor continues to grow and develop her business. She notes that discussions in class of shareholders agreements and selling equity have had direct parallels to what she is currently doing for her business, especially as she enters board rooms to discuss such matters about her business. Being able to make these connections have made school work a breeze and the difficult world of owning a start up a little clearer.