As graduation season fills Thomas R. Proctor High School’s halls with anticipation and possibility, Class of 2022 graduate Diamonte Giacovelli is proof that perseverance, and pride in where you come from, can take you anywhere.
After graduating from the Utica City School District, Giacovelli earned not one, but two bachelor’s degrees from Syracuse University: a Bachelor of Science in Creative Advertising from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
ສຳລັບ Giacovelli, ການຂ້າມຂັ້ນຕອນຂອງການສຶກສາລະດັບປະລິນຍາຕີໝາຍເຖິງຫຼາຍກວ່າການໄດ້ຮັບປະລິນຍາ.
"ມັນມີຄວາມໝາຍຫຼາຍ," Giacovelli ກ່າວ. "ຄອບຄົວຂອງຂ້ອຍພູມໃຈໃນຕົວຂ້ອຍ, ແຕ່ຂ້ອຍຍິ່ງພູມໃຈຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນເມື່ອຮູ້ວ່າປະສົບການນັ້ນເປັນຕົວແທນຂອງຫຍັງ. Syracuse ໄດ້ຊ່ວຍຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ພົບຄວາມຮູ້ສຶກເປັນເຈົ້າຂອງ ແລະ ໝັ້ນໃຈໃນຕົວຕົນຂອງຂ້ອຍ."
Giacovelli always knew he was interested in marketing while growing up in Utica. He credits former Proctor marketing teacher Mr. Brian Lanz with helping shape that passion and encouraging him to pursue opportunities beyond high school. When he arrived at Syracuse University on the 1870 Scholarship, what began as a plan to study marketing turned into a dual-degree path that combined business strategy with creative advertising.
"It was a long journey, but a good journey," Giacovelli said.
ມື້ນີ້, Giacovelli ໄດ້ເລີ່ມຕົ້ນບົດຕໍ່ໄປຂອງການເດີນທາງໃນນະຄອນນິວຢອກ, ບ່ອນທີ່ລາວໄດ້ຮັບການຝຶກອົບຮົມດ້ານການຕະຫຼາດເມື່ອບໍ່ດົນມານີ້. ເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າຈັງຫວະຂອງຕົວເມືອງຈະແຕກຕ່າງກັນຢ່າງຫຼວງຫຼາຍຈາກ Utica , ລາວເຫັນຄຸນລັກສະນະທີ່ຄຸ້ນເຄີຍໃນທັງສອງບ່ອນ.
"ສິ່ງໜຶ່ງທີ່ຂ້ອຍຮູ້ສຶກຊື່ນຊົມຄືຄວາມຫຼາກຫຼາຍ," ລາວເວົ້າ. "ຜູ້ຄົນຄິດວ່ານະຄອນນິວຢອກເປັນໜຶ່ງໃນສະຖານທີ່ທີ່ຫຼາກຫຼາຍທີ່ສຸດໃນໂລກ, ແລະມັນກໍ່ແມ່ນ, ແຕ່ Utica ມັນມີຄວາມຫຼາກຫຼາຍເຊັ່ນກັນ. ການເຕີບໃຫຍ່ຂຶ້ນມາອ້ອມຮອບຄົນທີ່ມາຈາກຫຼາຍພື້ນຖານທີ່ແຕກຕ່າງກັນໄດ້ສອນຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ຮູ້ຈັກເຊື່ອມຕໍ່ກັບຄົນອື່ນ, ແລະສິ່ງນັ້ນໄດ້ຊ່ວຍຂ້ອຍຢ່າງຫຼວງຫຼາຍ.
As he reflects on his time at the District, Giacovelli points to the relationships he built with teachers as one of the most valuable parts of his experience.
ລາວເວົ້າວ່າ "ການສະໜັບສະໜູນຈາກຄູອາຈານໄດ້ກະກຽມຂ້ອຍໃຫ້ພ້ອມສຳລັບຈຸດທີ່ຂ້ອຍຢູ່ໃນມື້ນີ້. ການຮູ້ສຶກສະບາຍໃຈທີ່ໄດ້ລົມກັບຜູ້ໃຫຍ່ ແລະ ຮຽນຮູ້ວິທີການສື່ສານກັບຄົນທີ່ແຕກຕ່າງກັນນັ້ນ ແມ່ນສິ່ງສຳຄັນຫຼາຍ."
Several educators left a lasting impression on him, including Mr. Lanz, English teacher Mr. Dennis Hahn, Italian teacher Mr. Ricky Nicholas-Hahn and social studies teacher Mrs. Ledia Mullen. Even after graduating, Giacovelli has stayed in contact with many of his former teachers, often returning to Proctor to speak with students about his college experience and career journey.
"ຂ້ອຍຢາກໃຫ້ນັກຮຽນຮູ້ສະເໝີວ່າມັນເປັນໄປໄດ້," ລາວເວົ້າ. "ຂ້ອຍເປັນພຽງເດັກນ້ອຍຈາກ Cornhill ຜູ້ທີ່ເຮັດວຽກໜັກ, ໄດ້ຮັບການສະໜັບສະໜູນຫຼາຍ ແລະ ສຸມໃສ່ເປົ້າໝາຍຂອງຂ້ອຍ."
Outside the classroom, Giacovelli immersed himself in student life. He served as treasurer for the Class of 2022; participated in Proctor’s drama club, mixed choir and show choir and was heavily involved in the school's morning show. Starting behind the camera as a freshman, he eventually became the program's student anchor during his senior year. These experiences helped strengthen the communication skills that would later become central to Giacovelli’s academic and professional success.
One opportunity that shaped Giacovelli’s future in particular was participating in the “Today's Students, Tomorrow's Teachers” program. During a visit to Syracuse University as a freshman, Giacovelli got an early glimpse of college life and possibilities beyond high school.
"I remember seeing the business school and thinking, 'This is where I want to be,'" Giacovelli recalled.
ໃນປັດຈຸບັນ, ໃນຖານະທີ່ເປັນຜູ້ຮຽນຈົບວິທະຍາໄລໃໝ່ໆທີ່ເລີ່ມຕົ້ນອາຊີບຂອງລາວ, Giacovelli ມັກແບ່ງປັນຄຳແນະນຳກັບນັກສຶກສາໃນປະຈຸບັນ, ໂດຍສະເພາະຜູ້ທີ່ອາດຈະເປັນຄົນທຳອິດໃນຄອບຄົວຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າທີ່ໄດ້ສຶກສາຕໍ່ໃນລະດັບສູງ.
"Be grateful for every opportunity," Giacovelli said. "Stay genuine, work hard and don't be afraid to ask for help. You don't have to be perfect. If you have a positive attitude, a strong work ethic and you're willing to learn, the rest will come."
Giacovelli also encourages students not to let their hometown define their limitations.
"Sometimes people focus on the negatives, but being from Utica is something to be proud of," Giacovelli said. "The experiences here make you stronger, use that to your advantage."
ເມື່ອຫວນຄືນຫຼັງ, Giacovelli ຫວັງວ່າລາວຈະໃຊ້ເວລາໜ້ອຍລົງໃນການກັງວົນກ່ຽວກັບສິ່ງທີ່ຄົນອື່ນຄິດ ແລະ ມີເວລາຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນໃນການຊື່ນຊົມເສັ້ນທາງຂອງຕົນເອງ.
"Everybody has their own journey," Giacovelli said. "Don't compare yourself to other people. Focus on where you're going and enjoy the ride."
Four years after graduating from Proctor, Giacovelli’s connection to the District remains as strong as ever.
"I'm always going to be proud to be from Utica," Giacovelli said. "I'm always going to represent the 315. Being a Proctor graduate is part of who I am, and I wouldn't want it any other way."
ບໍ່ວ່າຈະເປັນແບບຢ່າງໃຫ້ກັບນັກສຶກສາ Proctor ໃນປະຈຸບັນ ຫຼື ການສ້າງອາຊີບຂອງລາວໃນນະຄອນນິວຢອກ, Giacovelli ກໍມີຄວາມພາກພູມໃຈນັ້ນກັບລາວໃນທຸກໆບາດກ້າວ.