See all stories published in the 25 under 25 special edition here.
In a campus with over 50,000 students, finding community can feel overwhelming. But not for Nicolas Cavalcanti.
The 21-year-old UF applied physiology and kinesiology senior has spent the past three years shaping UF’s Adelante — a three-day early-arrival transition program designed specifically for Hispanic and Latino freshmen and transfer students.
The program immerses participants in campus life, familiarizes them with UF’s resources and organizations and introduces them to peer mentors — all to jump-start belonging.
Cavalcanti would go on to guide Adelante through institutional shifts. Adelante previously received university funding, but UF announced last year that support would end. The change came after Gov. Ron DeSantis directed all Florida universities to cut funding to programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The program began under the Hispanic Student Association’s oversight but is now fully housed under UF Student Government’s Roots Agency after the budget cuts.
Cavalcanti first joined Adelante as a scholar — one of the incoming students paired with peer leaders to help navigate orientation, resources and campus life. Over time, he stepped into a peer-leader role. His early roles allowed him to see both sides of the experience: participant and mentor.
“A big important thing that this program does well is giving students that attend the confidence to step out of their comfort zone and start talking to people more,” Cavalcanti said.
When UF announced Adelante would no longer receive funding last year, the program’s fate hung in the balance. Cavalcanti and fellow student leaders refused to let it vanish.
“What we were proud of is the fact that … we can still make it happen without the school,” he said.
The program ran uninterrupted in Fall 2024, despite uncertainty and limited institutional support. Though only six or seven students attended that year, a significant drop from previous cohorts’ usual 50-something students, the leadership celebrated continuity — ensuring freshmen still felt welcomed and grounded.
But for its leaders, Adelante’s survival wasn’t enough. They wanted sustainability. Over the following months, Cavalcanti became deeply involved in transition planning. He negotiated how Adelante would merge into HSA’s structure to maintain quality while scaling outreach.
“He was really instrumental in helping us transition,” said Matthew Urra, the 22-year-old former HSA president and executive coordinator of Adelante. “Nico was sitting in those [SG] meetings, contributing to discussions, helping determine what was going into the actual bill or draft that Student Senate would vote on for the President to sign into legislation.”
That effort culminated in Roots — UF’s umbrella SG agency that supports multicultural welcome and transition programs. Under Roots, Adelante is guaranteed budgetary and structural help from SG.
Urra called the shift “a massive milestone,” especially given statewide pressures on diversity and inclusion programs.
“To be able to build up those programs [like Adelante] was massive… a very big deal, quite historic, in my opinion,” Urra said.
Institutional maneuvers explain the “how” Adelante persevered. But Cavalcanti’s approach explains the “why.”
“He has this super lovable, friendly, excited energy about pretty much anything,” Urra said. “He’s never one to shy away from a challenge or stick to the status quo.”
Erik Lavandeira, a 21-year-old UF health science senior and former Adelante participant, said Cavalcanti is always being kind and trying to help others, especially first-generation students like himself. Lavandeira also praised his behind-the-scenes dedication.
“I saw him put work into it for so many months, almost the entire year leading up to it … working with his fellow peer coordinators to put out the best program possible,” he said. “I know there was a much bigger turnout than we've had the last three years.”
Cavalcanti, meanwhile, sees his role as more than a resume line. He feels an obligation to help those he cares about, he said — adding he cares “a lot about Adelante.” The true mark of the program isn’t in numbers, but in participants’ growth, he said.
As Adelante continues under Roots, Cavalcanti’s influence lingers. The program has institutional protection, stable funding and a clear path for future student leaders. More importantly, it remains true to its mission: helping Latino students enter UF with confidence, community and knowledge.
Cavalcanti’s legacy may be measured in tangible shifts — transitioning the program, drafting legislation, recruiting attendees — but it is best seen in less measurable ways: the freshman who feels seen, the peer who finds a mentor and the campus that becomes more inclusive.
In a vast university, he has built a home — and invited others to join it.
Contact Vera Lucia Pappaterra at vpappaterra@alligator.org. Follow her on X @veralupap.
Vera Lucia Pappaterra is The Alligator's Fall 2025 Caiman editor and a junior journalism and history student. She previously served as the enterprise race and equity reporter and the university general assignment reporter. In her free time, she enjoys being a menace on wheels (bike wheels).
