Catching up with Cameron Commodari '18

Loyola Blakefield alumnus Cameron Commodari '18 was named the recipient of the Matthew J. Russell Award during our 166th Commencement in the spring. This award is presented to a senior whose commitment to God, family, and friends has been exemplified by a quiet, sensitive, and selfless concern for others. If you've ever had the pleasure of meeting Cameron, you would know this description fits him perfectly. Most recently, Cameron has taken this selfless concern for others and applied it to his car detailing business as he raises funds to directly support those battling cancer. Learn more about this initiative and his future plans in the interview below.

What kept you busy over the summer months?

It feels like yesterday that I was in the Hollow with my fellow Dons during our final time together at graduation. Over the last three months of summer, I was very busy with my auto detailing business, which has exploded this year. Our season isn’t even over yet and we have already surpassed our numbers from last year. While detailing and running my business, I’ve also been in the works of starting up another venture and working on a campaign to raise funds for the Drive Pink campaign with AutoNation, which we launched last month. I’ve also spent a lot of time with family and friends and making sure to count my blessings through all this great success I’ve had.

When did you start your own business and what led to that initial spark?

I’ve had multiple businesses over the years. My first was a lawn cutting business that I started in 2008. I would cut a couple yards for neighbors and do them every Saturday. By 2012, I had 9 accounts and added landscaping services. At this time I also had started my own car washing business as well. I was washing my moms car one day (and probably wasn’t doing it the right). But I thought to myself as I was cleaning her car, “what if I can turn this into a business and learn how to do it the right way?” Whenever I was finished, I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. This lead to multiple months of studying videos on YouTube on how to become a detailer. From there, the business started to pick up and I  have been doing it ever since. In 2016, I decided to focus on one business so I could take it to the next level. So that year, I decided to sell off my lawn business and assets to focus on expanding my detailing business. Since then, the detailing business has been a huge success! The initial spark of my business mind came from my father who was in the business world as well. Since I loved to cut grass so much, he helped me step it up a notch with fliers, spreadsheets, and invoices - all at the age of 8 years old. I’m thankful for his guidance and I am sure he is gleaming with pride.

What are your education plans now and going forward?

Currently, I am attending school at our local community college, CCBC Essex and focusing on business administration. My goal is to study for a year at CCBC then transfer to a four-year university. College is definitely different from high school, but since Loyola prepared us so well, the work hasn’t really been overwhelming.

What inspired you to begin the Drive Pink effort?

I’ve had multiple family members in my family who have had cancer and have died of cancer. I figured I could blend my passion for business with a cause that is important to me. In partnership with AutoNation, which originally created the Drive Pink charity years ago, I wanted to create a way for people to support a worthy cause whether they did business with me or not. In addition to detailing customers, I have all of these people who simply stop by to donate and pick up a pink plate frame so they can show there support to fight cancer. Also, whenever a customer gets a detail and donates to Drive Pink, I match the donation out of my fee. It has truly been humbling as we did over $500 in donations for August. Given that success, the goal for September is $1,000.

As you and your fellow Dons embark on the next chapter of your lives, what message do you have for them?

I want current students, and my fellow Dons to know that life is short. We all are put on this earth for a reason, which is to serve one another. Find some way to make a difference in this world. It can be small deeds, or large deeds, but the important thing is to count your blessings and be thankful for what you have. This will help you focus on how you can make a difference and embrace opportunities to live the values that Loyola teaches. In the words that became so familiar to us at at Loyola “go forth and set the world on fire." That is exactly what I try to do every day!

Learn more about Cameron's work and the Drive Pink effort via his Facebook page.