Back to school after 40 years
Sammy and his sax.
Ten years ago, Sammy “Pro” LoProto never would have expected he’d be re-entering college in his late fifties. But, as a real estate broker in the Bay Area, the burst of the nation’s housing bubble took its toll on his business. Working at a Fresno real estate firm, Sammy noticed the prevalence of college-educated salespeople and knew he had to stay competitive.
“I decided it was time to finish the college education that I started nearly 40 years earlier,” Sammy said.
In January 2010, Sammy began attending Oakhurst Center with the intent of continuing his education and improving his musical performance skills as a saxophone player. He immediately knew it was the right decision.
“I was overwhelmed by the camaraderie I had with educators and fellow musicians,” Sammy said. But his aspirations soon outgrew the Oakhurst Center campus and he decided to take courses at FCC too.
“I was overwhelmed by the camaraderie I had with educators and fellow musicians.” –Sammy “Pro” LoProto
“Jumping in at Fresno City College, I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the campus and the enthusiasm of the students and the teachers,” he said. “In particular, the Music Department chair, Larry Honda, was a beacon of light. He kept me focused on the sax and love of music, and propelled me into the fulfillment of education.”
As Sammy continued his musical education during summer school (even using his saxophone as an audiovisual aid in his speech class), he also kept an eye out for new opportunities.
“In the Fall semester, I had a chance meeting with my next hero, Dr. Dympna Ugwu-Oju, Journalism Department chair at FCC,” he said. “I took her up on an offer to join the newspaper production and news writing classes. I found it to be addicting and fruitful.”
It was only once the fall semester had ended that Sammy realized he had completed 39.5 units since starting in January. But that wasn’t all.
“I never took notice of my GPA,” Sammy said. That is, until the president of the academic senate called and told him to pick up my dean’s list certificate. He had completed those 39.5 units with perfect 4.0 GPA.
This spring, Sammy continued writing articles for the Rampage, the FCC newspaper. In all, he has published nearly 30 articles in both the print and online editions.
“Over my two short semesters with the Rampage,” he said, “I have interviewed a wide spectrum of celebrities, educators, and administrators. I had to pinch myself when I did a face-to-face interview with a childhood hero, Chubby Checker, who was a featured performer at the Big Fresno Fair in October 2010. I had to explain to the rest of my twenty-something-year-old classmates who he was.”
What’s next
While the state budget cutbacks and enrollment reductions call into question his transfer to Fresno State, Sammy is determined to continue his education.
“Obviously my education will never stop,” he said. “And even though I will be 59 in July, a B.A. in journalism and a master’s in communication are well within my grasp. My future plans are definitely related to the future of education in California. I would love to teach middle school music and write for relevant musical publications, such as Jazz Times or even Downbeat or any mainstream music magazine. If the new retirement age is 70-plus, there’s even a chance I could teach journalism right here at FCC.”
Whatever Sammy decides, he’s just getting started.
Sammy lives in Oakhurst with his wife, who is also an accomplished musician.
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Sammy, I hear you. In 2004, at the age of 48, I returned to school, at FCC. In the ensuing years, I finished an AA at City, two BA’s at CSU Fresno, and I’m currently working on my Ph.D. at UC Merced. Oh, and to make it even more fun, I currently teach in the History Department at Fresno City College — the same campus where I returned to school, just a few short years, ago.
Congrats and keep plugging.
Sammy “Pro” LoProto is the BOMB!!!!