Professor reflects on STCC’s profound impact on his career

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – When he accepted a teaching position at Springfield Technical Community College in 2013, Professor Anthony Rondinelli knew he had come full circle – and in his heart he knew it was the right move.

Many years earlier, as he was graduating from high school, Rondinelli decided STCC was his college of choice. He wanted to stay local, and he knew it was the most affordable higher education option available to him.

“I decided to attend STCC because of its affordability and excellent reputation, but also because I was a working student,” he said.

After earning his associate’s degree from STCC, Rondinelli earned a bachelor’s degree and then two master’s degrees, and worked for many years in private industry. He served in a variety of roles, from sales and marketing, to management, to finance/risk analysis, to accounting & financial reporting.

However, he always had a desire to teach, and armed with real world business experience, he took positions at several area colleges and universities beginning back in 2010. He was hired as an adjunct faculty member at STCC in 2013, and then as a full-time faculty member in 2014, and has felt like he’s come “back home” ever since.

“STCC’s been so important to my career and to my own self-development over the years,” Rondinelli said. “Without STCC, I don’t know if I would have ever come back and entered teaching, a career that I really love.”

Today, Rondinelli is a full-time, tenured professor of business. He teaches several courses in accounting, personal income taxes, personal finance, marketing, management and computer basics, among others. He’s able to draw on his experience in the private sector to illuminate the paths of his students.

Professor Rondinelli finds joy in helping others and making a difference.

Before he embarked on a teaching career, he worked for several years in public accounting. He recalls going to clients’ homes or businesses and explaining the financial and tax-planning details they needed to know to make sound business decisions.

Having many conversations with Anthony over the years, it is hard not to experience his wonderfully earnest passion for the STCC mission. Dr. John B. Cook, STCC President

“That’s when I got the bug for teaching. I could see that I was putting people at ease and making them understand things that they didn’t easily understand,” Rondinelli said.

A resident of Feeding Hills, where he resides with his wife and 2 children, Rondinelli grew up in Springfield. He graduated with honors from Cathedral High School (now Pope Francis Preparatory School) in 1989. While he was accepted at many other local area colleges, he chose to go to STCC. It made sense financially. His father, a tradesman who owned a shoe-repair business in downtown Springfield, died when Anthony was just 8 years old. His older brother then took over the trade, and Anthony helped out at his shop even as a small child. He continued working there while a student at STCC and beyond.

“STCC was a great fit for me, because I could balance my work-life with my studies,” he said. “Affordability was very important. With my dad passing away when I was so young, our family didn’t have a lot of financial means.”

Rondinelli graduated with honors from STCC, where he was recognized in the 14^th annual edition of ‘The National Dean’s List’ for his academic achievement. He then went on to graduate cum laude from Westfield State University with a degree in marketing & research, and summa cum laude from Western New England University, where he earned two master’s degrees in both accounting and management. He also holds several professional certifications.

Now in his 10^th year at STCC, Rondinelli gives back by serving on the college’s Foundation Board as a faculty representative. He’s the chair of the student Business Club. He is a regular participant on committees, including serving as a member of the recent Strategic Planning Task Force.

He’s proud of his community involvement, including doing consulting for SCORE, a national organization that provides free business mentoring services to new and existing businesses. He also publishes articles and offers expert commentary on various financial matters, in part to shine a light on STCC’s name.

One of his goals is to pursue a doctoral degree in business after his son graduates from college. His son, Christopher Rondinelli, completed the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate course at STCC in 2023, and is now a certified EMT. Chris is a freshman in the physician’s assistant degree program at Springfield College.

While Rondinelli continues to set many goals for himself, he has no plan to leave STCC. He says he loves being in the classroom and enlightening others. His motto is to “never stop learning and growing.”

“To me, when I see that light go off in the mind of a student, that’s very fulfilling,” Rondinelli said. “It’s been the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done professionally.”

STCC President John B. Cook said Rondinelli embodies the spirit of community college transformation.

“Having many conversations with Anthony over the years, it is hard not to experience his wonderfully earnest passion for the STCC mission,” Cook said. “We are fortunate to have him in our faculty ranks, teaching a subject matter that continues to carry an imperative for our students."

Rondinelli credits his professors at STCC with making the college a special and inspiring institution. While he was a student, many took the time to talk with him and help him find his strengths.

Even though several of the professors who guided him are no longer with STCC, he keeps in touch with as many as he can.

Retired professor of accounting Bill Herd taught Rondinelli in the fall of 1989 and spring of 1990.

“He was a good student and expressed a willingness to help any other classmate with something I was trying to teach,” Herd said. “You can tell that he liked his job. He liked to work with students and help them become successful.”

STCC Vice President of Academic Affairs Christopher Thuot said as an alumnus Rondinelli brings a unique perspective to the classroom.

“It’s inspiring to see an alum return to give back so passionately to the institution that shaped his own journey,” Thuot said. “Professor Rondinelli genuinely cares about each student’s academic journey and future success.”

Rondinelli said he feels privileged to be a part of STCC as a former student and now as a professor.

“STCC has been great,” he added. “I started here in the fall of 1989, and now I feel as though I’ve come full circle in being back here to do what I really love, which is to support students as they transform their lives.”

Watch a video of Professor Rondinelli.

 Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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