杏吧原创

Growing up in a 鈥渂ig Italian family鈥� in Kinnelon, New Jersey, 鈥�22 remembers two constants in his life: baseball and helping people.

鈥淕iving back is important to me because some people don't have as much, and you don鈥檛 know what it鈥檚 like to be in their situation,鈥� says Siracusa, whose good deeds started with food drives as an altar boy at his Catholic church. In high school, he and his baseball teammates collected toys for children with cancer and volunteered at a food pantry and senior living facility.

At UMass Lowell, where Siracusa earned a B.S. in exercise science and is now pursuing an MBA, he has continued his passion for baseball 鈥� and community work. An outfielder for the Division 1 River Hawks, Siracusa received UML鈥檚 2022 David J. Boutin Award for academic and athletic excellence, leadership and service.

鈥淏eing recognized with the Boutin Award means a lot, but it also doesn't define who I am, because my parents (Gerlando and Nellie) have been teaching me to treat people that way my whole life,鈥� says Siracusa, who organized volunteer work at the Merrimack Valley Food Bank with UML teammates. 鈥淵ou can be a good athlete, a good teammate and a good friend without being cocky and showy.鈥�

Siracusa鈥檚 performance on the field and in the classroom speaks for itself. As a senior, he hit .331 with 10 home runs and a team-high 65 runs batted in, helping to lead the River Hawks to their first-ever America East championship game appearance. Among his many accolades was a spot on the NCAA Div. 1 Northeast All-Region Second Team.聽

鈥淚t was an unbelievable year,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut without my teammates, coaches, family and friends, I would be nowhere.鈥澛�

Siracusa chose to play at UML because of the dogged recruiting efforts of Coach 鈥� and the fact that former high school teammate was a River Hawk.

鈥淥nce I visited the campus, I knew this was the place for me,鈥� Siracusa says. 鈥淭he facilities were great, and I knew Ken was a down-to-earth guy who was adamant about helping people.鈥�

A member of the America East Honor Roll and Dean's List every semester at UML, Siracusa majored in exercise science, a step toward his goal of becoming a physical therapist.

鈥淚've always wanted to work with people who are in pain or struggling because, as an athlete, I know what it鈥檚 like,鈥� says Siracusa, who tore his left (non-throwing) shoulder while swinging the bat late in his junior year and spent nine months rehabbing the injury. 鈥淧hysical therapy is where my heart is.鈥�

Given an extra year of baseball eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Siracusa is returning for a graduate season while pursuing an MBA, which will help him open his own physical therapy practice someday.

While Siracusa plans to get a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, he first wants to see how far he can take his baseball career.

鈥淚'm going to do whatever I can to make myself the best version of myself, because if I'm given the opportunity to play pro ball, then I'm ecstatic,鈥� says Siracusa, who hit .330 for the Vermont Mountaineers in the New England Collegiate Baseball League the summer following his senior year.

鈥淏ut if I fall short and don't get the chance, I can look back and have no regrets because I know that I put all my effort into it,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 can go back to school and get my doctorate, so it鈥檚 a win-win. And I鈥檓 very grateful for that.鈥�