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Poland graduate
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Neighbors | Submitted.Poland Seminary High School graduate Dominic Varacalli has worked to receive his Master's in Science in Information Systems from the University of Cincinnati at the age of 21.
By CHRISTINE KEELING
From a boy carrying a Coke in one hand and remote in the other to a college graduate holding a master’s degree in Science in Information Systems, 21-year-old Dominic Varacalli found passion, laid out his goals and is set to succeed.
The 2007 Poland Seminary High School graduate will leave the University of Cincinnati in December and has landed a job with Citigroup.
“As a kid, he was in such a hurry to grow up,” said Dominic’s mother, Diane Varacalli.
Dominic said as a kid he loved to watch the History Channel, take things apart and do experiments in the basement. He was home-schooled from third grade until he enrolled in the Poland school district in eighth grade.
“Home-schooling helped build my character and independence,” Dominic said.
In his junior year of high school, Dominic took advantage of State Bill 140 and attended the Trumbull Kent State branch and then transferred to Youngstown State University in his senior year. By the time he graduated high school, he had 63 college credits and his own Internet business selling novelty signs.
When it came to finishing his education his parents added a stipulation.
“Our children are required to pay for half,” Diane said.
Dominic admitted his parent’s rule motivated him, but he also wanted to be in the working business world so he worked as fast as he could to finish school.
Dominic closed his business after his freshman year and took 18 credit hours a quarter. He is very active at Crossroads Church in Cincinnati where he is a leader to 15 high school freshmen. He also teaches two lab sections at the college.
“I have really close friends and that helps out,” Dominic said about his busy schedule.
Getting a master’s degree wasn’t an original priority for Dominic, but assistant professor Alex Lopes at the University of Cincinnati persuaded him.
“I don’t regret it,” Dominic said. “It ended up helping me.”
Dominic will begin a two-year program with Citigroup this month. He will rotate positions within the company every eight months.
“I think this will give me a lot of exposure to different areas of the company and I like the strong community that Cincinnati offers,” Dominic said.
Dominic suggests that everyone should find something they love to do and would do for free. For him, that’s computer technology.
“Just think if you have an Internet connection you really have the world at your fingertips. Whether you are someone who is extremely poor or someone with the all the means in the world, you still have access to all the same information,” Dominic said.