About the Author
My path to curating this newsletter was not typical. Throughout elementary-middle school, I was convinced that I would become the Yankees next star shortstop (sorry Volpe), and if not, at the very least a baseball historian. However, reality set in and I came to learn that although baseball is a major interest of mine, it was pretty clear that I wasn’t going to be the next Jeter. That being said, another major shift happening around that time was the adoption of technology in younger generations after COVID. While helpful to many, technology seems to have placed a damper on schools in general, deterring students away from engagement and shortening attention spans. I wanted to make a difference, and I believed that if I impacted even just one life, then I succeeded. Thus, I took my talents to the world of sub teaching. Through this endeavor, I quickly noticed that it would be easier said than done to keep the young bucks away from technology and keep them engaged. So I decided to write about it. On top of that, I’m studying marketing at Saint John Fisher (holy fallback), but writing is what instills a sense of purpose in me and gives me an identity. However, studying at St. John Fisher has proven to be quite the lucrative opportunity for my growth. The strong support network of professors, alumni, and students cultivated my love for learning and the ambition that it took to finally bite the bullet and create this newsletter. Learning about baseball history, statistics, etc. as a kid and the ways of the world now paved the way for my pursuit of knowledge and an internal locus of control, which played a role in my decision to step out of my comfort zone and spend a semester at the American Institute for Foreign Studies in Rome. This legendary 3 month span in Europe changed my world. I am forever grateful to have met the people that came into my life, try delicacies I never would have in the US, and have the privilege to see breathtaking sights that I only thought that I would have seen in an Instagram post or travel vlog. Thus, I took stepping out of my comfort zone to the next level and decided to put words on a page and click the publish button. Hope ya enjoy.
I reside in Syracuse, NY and currently attend St. John Fisher University as a rising senior marketing major. In my free time, you can catch me playing basketball, going to the gym, spending time with my family, in nature, reading and writing (surprise surprise), enjoying different craft beer, finding the next hidden gem of a restaurant, or watching ball with the fellas. I live with my brother Mike (18, shoutout Shmike), my sister Stella (9, legend), and my parents. Love em to death. Hope you love my newsletter just as much, if not more (joking kinda).
Add my socials (bonus points for a LinkedIn connection)!
Instagram: @joe.degroat_
TikTok: @degroat35
Facebook: Joe DeGroat
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joe-degroat
Snapchat: @j.degroat35
Venmo: banned
