Joe Monzo Class of 2009

Joe Monzo graduated from DVFriends in 2009 and attended Albright College where he majored in English and Digital Media. After graduating from Albright in 2013, Joe launched his own video production company, Monzo Media Productions, that creates videos for businesses and organizations, including DVFriends. In addition to running his business, he presents on video production and marketing at professional conferences and branding seminars. Joe credits DVFriends with providing an environment that helped build his confidence and encouraged him to become a strong self-advocate, soft skills that he says contributed to his success in college and in his business.

 

I came to DVFriends in 7th grade from another school that serves students with learning differences.

 

I have an auditory processing challenge. I know that I do not learn well by only listening.

 

School was okay, but by middle school, it was clear that I was behind on some things. My reading comprehension was not improving and I was not quite where I needed to be in math. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. However, because I was in a school serving LD kids for most of my school career, having challenges didn’t bother me. As time went on, however, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated when my needs were not being supported at my school, and I didn’t know how to self-advocate yet, let alone what that even meant.

 

I didn’t have an easy transition to DV. I was kind of grumpy during my first year. I was a little older than the other 7th grade students and I felt out of sync with them, and frankly, the academic work was too easy. During my second year at DVFriends, I actually skipped a grade and went right into 9th grade. That’s when the big change happened for me. I was always a diligent student and I finally felt appropriately supported, academically challenged and I was able to connect with the other students much better. My confidence started to grow and I began to learn how to ask for what I needed in order to be successful.

 

Are there specific ways that the teachers at DVFriends helped you with your learning difference? Any strategies, tools, techniques that you took with you to college or into your work life?

I began using audiobooks along with reading the text in 11th and 12 grades which really helped with my reading comprehension. I brought this tool with me to college. In 11th grade English, Bill Keeney taught me how to take notes, and Bill Dawe, my 9th and 10th-grade advisor, made an impact on me- he was a very caring teacher. I learned how to use a computer at DVFriends – apps like Word and PowerPoint that I still use. Jalal was the first person I met at the back-to-school barbecue in my first year. He was so friendly and warm and John Maglio was also really great. And, of course, I learned how to make videos at DV.

 

I played soccer and really enjoyed the annual soccer team “shore boot camp”. In my sophomore and junior years, I was really getting into tennis and made it to the league finals. And any time there was an opportunity to showcase any videos and short films at DVFriends and film festivals, that was really special for me. I wish that Lucy, the therapy dog, had been at DVFriends when I was there.

 

What do you think is the lasting value of a DVFriends education? The lasting value really is how you’re able to take certain skills and social interactions into your life. I’ve been able to utilize many of the soft skills I learned at DVFriends during college and in running my video production company. The self-advocacy and confidence I learned helped me to speak up when I needed something and to take risks in the real world, especially early on in starting my business. That would not have happened if I had stayed in my other school.

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