Domenic Policicchio III applies skills he learned at Walsh in both his jobs — on the basketball court and in the office

By Lee A. Dean

From backboards to boardrooms, Domenic Policicchio III (BBA ’18) is reaping the advantages of his experience as a student at Walsh. As a nontraditional student, Policicchio benefited from the flexibility of being able to take online courses from Walsh to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in management in 2018. That flexibility extended back to his years at Schoolcraft Community College, which partnered with Walsh in a program that allowed students to transfer all their credits from a community college to Walsh.

“That partnership gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of being a student-athlete on the (Schoolcraft) men’s basketball team while also working towards a bachelor’s degree,” Policicchio says. Policicchio had already launched a successful business career before enrolling at Walsh. But the goal of earning a Walsh degree — and the skills that come with it — motivated him to continue his studies. “I value education and thought the degree was extremely important to have,” Policicchio says. “I was having success, but ultimately you don’t know everything. I’m constantly looking for ways to learn something new.”

While enrolled at Walsh, Policicchio sold his shares of a company he started with friends. After earning his BBA, he and his partners bought into a second firm and then sold it to a larger company. “The flexibility of Walsh’s online learning during a time that no one appreciated online learning was impactful,” Policicchio says. “Everything you learned was something you could apply that same day. We weren’t just reading out of textbooks; we were being taught things that related to the real world. I was constantly learning something new. Every teacher and faculty member went out of their way to make sure I got my questions answered. I am thankful for the innovation and forward thinking of Walsh’s leadership team. They set a standard for online education.”

Everything you learned was something you could apply that same day. We weren’t just reading out of textbooks, we were being taught things that related to the real world. I was constantly learning something new.

Domenic Policicchio III

Policicchio valued the effort Walsh instructors and staff invested into building relationships with students. He is particularly grateful for Brenda Paine, who is now Walsh’s director of career services. The work of Paine and the rest of the support staff helped with tangible resources such as resume revisions and, in general, with keeping the very busy Policicchio engaged and focused.

Today, Policicchio works in Big Tech (NASDAQ: ADSK) focusing on strategic development while continuing his involvement with basketball. After coaching at several metro Detroit high school programs, he is now preparing for his first season as the men’s basketball head coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. That’s the equivalent of two full-time jobs — and where the flexibility and focus learned at Walsh become key components to his success.

“The phrase I like to use is ‘locked in.’ Every time you walked on that Troy campus everyone was very focused. That also fueled me in my education, in what I was doing in my business and in coaching,” he says. “Now I’m chasing my dreams of coaching young men and getting them prepared to contribute to society.”