One life-changing stroke of luck came from his University of Houston professor, Dr. Edwin B. Roberts. Roberts encouraged Costa to attend the renowned École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, and Costa went from showcasing his designs in pool-side fashion shows on the UH campus to learning from fashion greats in Paris, France.
Costa is still involved with his alma mater, and he and his wife, Jerri Ann, are dedicated to student success: they established an endowed scholarship for Retailing and Consumer Sciences students at the UH College of Technology in 2015. Most recently, he appeared on a distinguished alumni panel on January 19, 2017, organized in celebration of the "Here, We Go" billion dollar campaign for the University of Houston.