Doneilous King is a prolific public speaker, coach, community organizer, athlete and teacher. Among all his titles and accomplishments, he is most proud of being a Thomas R. Proctor High School alumnus, graduating 25 years ago in 2000.
Safari yake ya shule ya upili iliunda mwelekeo wa maisha yake. Ilimpa nafasi ya kutafakari changamoto alizopitia alipokuwa akikua Utica , pamoja na ushindi (wa kweli na wa kitamathali) uliomtambulisha.
"Kutoka katika umaskini wanaoishi katika miji midogo Utica , naweza kusema unapoanzia hakuamui unapoishia. Kuna tofauti kubwa katika kila kitu tunachopitia maishani na mtazamo wetu na mbinu yetu ndiyo tofauti. Nimebarikiwa maishani mwangu kuunganishwa na watu wengi wazuri kunifanya nijisikie kama mimi ni wa mahali pao, kunisaidia kugundua nguvu isiyo na kikomo iliyo ndani yangu, na kunisaidia kutambua vipaji vyangu, na kwa hivyo naamini kwamba sote tuna kusudi,” King anasema, akizungumzia njia yake maishani.
Impressively, King still remembers the names of his teachers and coaches as if it were yesterday. He found a family among his peers and educators in the Utica City School District. “Ralph Lupia was my track coach. He's the best coach that I had in high school. And I used what he taught me for basketball and every other sport. He combined a tough love with an incredible passion, and he was innovative. I remember him going to symposiums and conferences, trying to learn new things. He had a different approach even at the high school level, and it was just amazing to see. He saw something in me and taught me things about myself in terms of trying different things and putting in extra work. He was incredible,” King says.
Inside the classroom, one math teacher also stands out. “My calculus teacher, Mrs. Dorozynski, was amazing. She had this incredible combination of nurture with a sternness and a no-nonsense approach to getting things done, and then we would always end our classes or tutoring sessions with a smile. And I'm connected with both of those folks today,” King says.
Not every day was a perfect one for this student-athlete. King learned the hard way that discipline and tough love were essential. Serving a suspension once cost him training time for what became one of his proudest achievements: winning the New York State Championship (Class AA) 4x4 relay in track and field. His name remains on the wall at Proctor for that victory. “What that taught me is that you’ve got to follow the rules. Your team relies on you, and you have to do your part. If you work hard, you know you can achieve great things,” King says.
Mchezo wa kuigiza haukuwa mchezo wake pekee uliomvutia. Pia alifanikiwa katika mpira wa kikapu, akipata taji la pili la Section 3. Anawahimiza wanafunzi wa michezo kuchunguza michezo mingi. Alipoulizwa kuhusu ushauri wake kwa wanafunzi wa michezo, alijibu, "Mpaka utakapokuwa wasomi, cheza michezo mingi uwezavyo. Jaribu kuona unachopenda lakini pia kuona unachofanya vizuri. Na ukipenda au kupata mafanikio na moja, tumia muda mwingi, utafiti na kujitolea uwezavyo. Sote tuna saa 24 sawa kwa siku, na vijana wengi wanatumia saa tano, sita, saba za muda wa kutazama skrini huku wanariadha makini wakiinua uzito na wanasoma filamu. Wanafanya maendeleo ya ujuzi, wanafanya saikolojia ya michezo. Na kwa hivyo jambo hili limekuwa sanaa na sayansi halisi, hata katika viwango vya vijana. Ikiwa hawatalichukulia kwa uzito, itakuwa vigumu kushindana," anasema King.
This notable alumnus has given back to the community by organizing basketball leagues and academics. He has served as a coach, organizer and mentor. King has given back by organizing basketball-enriched programs like Doneilous King Basketball Academy, Utica City Rocks AAU, and King of Kings Pro-Am.
His programs, including King of Kings (for men and women) and the Summer Pro-Am for Upstate New York, drew players from as far as Buffalo and New York City. Now retired from coaching, he was most recently the head varsity basketball coach at the Utica Academy of Science, where he coached his son. “We were the first Black head coach, father-son duo for Varsity Basketball in Utica’s history,” he says, treasuring the experience.
King values teamwork and family. Today, he serves as the Senior Counselor for Educational Opportunity and DEI Specialist at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. He’s also taught as an adjunct professor of sociology. He earned a master’s in sociology from SUNY Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor's in biology from the University at Albany.
How did he jump from science to sociology, you might ask? “I studied biology at first because I wanted to become a physical therapist. I had a hamstring injury from track and loved physical therapy. I said, this is magic! I want to do this! Later, I combined my knowledge of kinesiology, movement and sports with modifying the human condition. I help people achieve goals physically, mentally and spiritually. It became a holistic approach—mind, body and soul—and that connected to sociology.”
In college, King discovered he thought like a sociologist before he knew the term. One inspirational professor sparked his interest. “I wanted to know why inner-city neighborhoods were designed the way they were. Growing up, I didn't know if that was just the way that God wanted it to be, or was there something else at play? And what I found out later on, was that some systems are in place that put design in our lives. Sociology is a study of human behavior and interaction. I've been enamored and really just in love with it ever since.”
In closing, King shares, “I am who I am today: an athlete, father, business owner, educator and a professional because of my family, my community and what Proctor and the Utica City School District did for me. I'm truly thankful to the Utica City School District.”