Happy Father’s Day from the Zicklin School!

Our Mother’s Day article proved so popular with the Zicklin community that we decided to do a follow-up. For Father’s Day, Zicklin News talked to Zicklin School alumni and students who are dads. Here’s what they told us.

Omar Melendez

Omar’s son Brandon graduates from St. Anselm’s School in the Bronx.

Degree and graduation year: MS in Business Analytics, ’27

Kids’ names and ages: Brandon (15) and Ryan (3)

What was the biggest surprise about becoming a father?
Having the responsibility of worrying about someone else’s needs, and therefore learning to make much more conscious decisions about work and life. After I had my first son at age 27, I realized I couldn’t just quit my job if I wanted to—I had a dependent. Now that I have two, my decisions have to be even more conscious.

How do you balance school, work, and fatherhood?
I’m very lucky because my wife helps me balance all these things so that I’m able to go back to school. My work as a client service specialist at Moody’s is mostly remote, so I can do school pickups and drop-offs. And one of the benefits of the pandemic is the technology that now enables me to do a lot of hybrid schooling.

What is something your children have taught you?
They’ve taught me how much more I have to learn. It’s been a big learning curve. With my 15-year-old, I try to keep up to date on trends and things he likes. With my three-year-old, it’s almost like starting all over again—realizing I don’t have the same energy as I did with my first kid. Mostly they’ve taught me how to adapt to any situation and move forward.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s about to become a dad for the first time?
Try to be understanding of the stresses that kids go through nowadays. It’s a big difference from when we grew up. You can try to pass on knowledge from your own experiences, but remember that things aren’t the same now. Also, take advantage of any time you have with them, because it does go quickly.

How will you celebrate Father’s Day this year?
Probably by getting something to eat at Cheesecake Factory or another restaurant they like. I just like being with them and relaxing—I’m cool with whatever they want to do.

Jesse Nover

Jesse with his kids Maya (left) and Kai (right)

Degree and graduation year: MS in Business Analytics, ’26

Kids’ names and ages: Maya (17) and Kai (15)

What was the biggest surprise about becoming a father?
Before I had kids, I was wrapped up in my career and my social life and fatherhood just seemed impossible. After I had them, I discovered that not only was it entirely possible, it was very rewarding. Your life changes, sure, but the changes turn out to be positive.

How do you balance school, work, and fatherhood?
My wife works from home and my schedule is pretty flexible—I enrolled in the MSBA program after being let go from my full-time job. So we take turns getting the kids to their activities, like Girl Scouts, play rehearsals, and choir practice. Now that they’re older, they often take public transportation.

What is something your children have taught you?
Be open to change and don’t expect things to last forever. Children go through so many stages; you’re never quite sure how long a given phase will last. Things that seem permanent end up not being permanent.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s about to become a dad for the first time?
Find a community to connect with, whether it’s through school, clubs, or other social or religious organizations you’re involved with. It helps you feel you’re a part of something.

How will you celebrate Father’s Day this year?
This year, we are planning to combine Father’s Day with a graduation party. Maya, my 17-year-old, is graduating from Brooklyn Tech!

Jason Quinones with his wife, Cassandra

Jason Quiñones

Degree and graduation year: Executive MBA, ’26

Kids’ names and ages: Aurora (two and a half) and Orion (one and a half)

What was the biggest surprise about becoming a father?
How fast they grow and learn. How innocent they are, and inquisitive—always investigating and putting things together.

How do you balance school, work, and fatherhood?
Mostly it was Strategy 101: time management, strategizing, thinking about what I needed support with. I’m fortunate to have the support of my wife, my family, and my employer; I’m the buildings manager for the Met Cloisters, which is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I also chose the Executive MBA program because of its Saturday-only classes. During the week I’ve been getting by on a lot of late nights, schoolwork during lunch hours, and Red Bulls.

What is something your children have taught you?
The beauty and innocence of a child. I’ve become very mindful of setting the right example for them—saying please and thank you, treating their mother respectfully, setting boundaries. They’ve given me tremendous empathy for single parents and families with more than two kids. Also, my second child taught me that there’s no template. Every child is different and you have to be adaptable and conscious of what your child’s particular needs are.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s about to become a dad for the first time?
Number one: As a father and husband, you have to be that rock for your partner. You’re a team, and if you lose one team member, it all falls on you. Number two: Don’t be scared. Children are stronger than you think. Don’t let fear overtake your rationale.

How will you celebrate Father’s Day this year?
We’ll be on a family vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the week before Father’s Day. On the actual day, we’ll be back home but I’ll probably be too tired to do anything glamorous; maybe a backyard steak would be ideal.

Categories: Alumni News, News, Student News