Tell us the story of Forever Cheese.

Buster: I studied in Spain in my third year, and I truly fell in love with Valencia and realized it was my home.

After working on the Ebel US Pro Indoor Tennis Championships my first year out of college, I had a nagging desire to go back to Spain – so much so that I quit my job at the end of the tournament and grabbed a backpack and journey back.

As part of my journey, I started interspersing working for various tournaments in Italy and Spain to supplement my experience and also earn money while staying in Europe. After going to France and Italy, I did land in Spain for a while. Over the next few years, I created a career in sports marketing and got hired on different events in Europe and the US to work in different capacities, including operations, player relations, and sales. I eventually was hired to work in golf and, while living in Rome in 1991, met my future partner in life (now ex in life) and work, Pierluigi. His family made Pecorino Romano and sheep milk table cheeses in the countryside of Rome.

I moved back to the US after working the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 to be with Pierluigi and ended up working with him in the family business since World Cup soccer’s regional NJ office was taking a very long time to get set up. I agreed to help Pierluigi make his family’s cheeses known in the specialty food industry with one condition – that I could go find a great Manchego in Spain when we were successful.

Once we had established both Italian & Spanish cheeses, we determined that we would be better off creating our own company to focus not just on the family cheeses rather a range of high quality, authentic cheeses from Italy and Spain. When we named it Forever Cheese, almost immediately after, we started importing fig & date cakes from Spain and creating a line of cheese accompaniments which today has a very wide breadth: different almonds including the famous Marcona almond, small production honeys, jams, Italian mostardas, and that continued to grow.

Why do you feel it is important to preserve the art and science of dairy farming?

Buster: I am working to bring awareness about being a shepherd and milk farmer. While we still have a very strong industry for milk, it is not the same as small production milk. The properties are different, the nuances and the market for each of them. Milk farming is an art, one that takes a lot of sacrifice. We need to change the image of what a milk farmer is and celebrate it and the people who make our lives happier with cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt and more.

How did your time in Valencia play a part in your decision to become an entrepreneur and begin importing European products in the US? 

Buster: My time in Valencia allowed me to fall in love with the country and the culture. Coincidentally I fell in love with Manchego Cheese. The condition I gave my partner to help him as long as I could bring good quality Manchego to the US stemmed mainly from my love of the country – I wanted to show Americans my love for Spain via that cheese. I could do that because this program was made available to me, I could earn college credits and have an amazing experience.

What is your favorite global cheese fact?

Buster: Not all milks are created equal. Sheep & goat milks have different casein properties, they are more digestive in your system. When someone talks about lactose it is not always the case- it depends on the milk proteins and usually one can enjoy these two milk-based cheeses.

What inspires you to give back to Education Abroad scholarships at UVA? What would be the ideal impact for you of your gift?

Buster: They say power is knowledge. I say People are Life. Understanding other cultures can only make us better people, more open and willing to compromise. I feel that education abroad creates passions, inspires love – not just of a human, but of a place, the culture and life itself.

What advice would you give a current UVA student interested in a global career?

Buster: Find your passion and follow it.