By George Hainaj ‘25, MarCommWeb Writing Intern
Pete Civitello ’99, an alumnus and former baseball player at Albertus Magnus
College, was recently inducted into the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of
Fame this year. After graduating, Civitello went on to play baseball professionally, eventually pursuing a career in coaching and secondary school administration. He currently works for Meriden Public Schools as a Director of School Leadership after manning positions as a Social Studies teacher, a Dean of Students, an Assistant Principal, and a Supervisor of Data Integration and Post Secondary Planning at various schools across Connecticut. His push for continual growth in his career and the development of his professional goals allowed him to secure greater opportunities and find success. Furthermore, he has extensive experience coaching baseball and basketball for over two decades and co-owns a baseball travel program.
Civitello grew up in the New Haven area and attended North Haven High School
until he graduated in 1994. He attended Southern Connecticut State University while his
mother battled cancer and unfortunately passed away. He decided to leave college for a
semester to manage his life and consider his options. After enduring great hardship, he
ultimately transferred to Albertus where he mentions how he was given a second
chance at sports. He described coming to Albertus as a natural transition where he was
close to home but still had the opportunity to play basketball and baseball as he’d
hoped. He touts the close-knit community and the smaller classroom sizes at the college, giving him the chance to succeed when he transferred. Civitello developed many meaningful relationships with students and faculty alike, allowing him to be a better student both on the field and in the classroom. He had many fond memories of the athletic department where he was a part of the then-growing baseball program. Being involved in athletics at Albertus taught him about demonstrating perseverance, handling successes, and dealing with failures which he now instills in the athletes he coaches today. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from college and applied it to future opportunities to work with young adults in various civil service positions.
When he is not working as a secondary school administrator, Civitello co-owns
the Northeast Clutch travel program with his partner, Paul Carangelo. Their company
seeks to train up-and-coming baseball players at their athletic training facility. Civitello
expressed how he hoped to be a role model for young athletes and students to look up
to similar to how he regarded his coaches and teachers at Albertus. He believes
athletes often make great leaders for young people as they teach valuable life lessons
that allow these impressionable individuals to succeed. Civitello conveys how he was
honored to be welcomed into the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame as
a recognition of his athletic and professional accomplishments. This was also an
opportunity to appreciate and show respect to all the people who supported him and
made an incredible impact on his life. He mentions key individuals like Mike Proto, his
coach at North Haven High School, and Joe Tinelli, a former Albertus Magnus athletic
director and baseball coach, as amazing mentors who guided him toward success in his
future.
Civitello greatly appreciates the education he received at Albertus Magnus
College, in addition to the community and relationships he garnered during his
academic career. He remains connected to many of those students and faculty to this
day, which gives credence to the phenomenal experiences provided by the college. The
opportunities he received during his time at Albertus provided him with the skills and
expertise he needed to fulfill his dreams of success.