Hockessin to Hoop Township

Tyler Gallo

Well, here we are.

When I stepped foot into the Academic Media Center for the first time four years ago, I never thought I would be in the position I am today.

Time is a funny thing, you know? So much can change in such a short amount of time, and I have found that has been the case for me over the past two years.

I’m never one for cliches, but these last four years have truly been the best of my life, and they have marched on faster than I’d care to admit.

When I left the hallowed grounds of Hockessin, Delaware back in 2018, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was moving five hours away from everything I had ever known into a new place with new people.

I’ll admit it; the first two years of my time at Robert Morris were poorly spent, and my life was affected because of it. I did not prioritize working with student media, and I spent the last two years trying to make up for that.

After four years of great moments, such as seeing Robert Morris crowned NEC champions and storming the court in 2019, traveling to the mecca of Rupp Arena in Kentucky to cover men’s basketball, or to all the people who I have worked with and met over the years, it is finally time to say goodbye to everything.

I can confidently say that I will leave “Hoop Township” satisfied with what I have done. Covering sports through a pandemic, building Colonial Sports Network from the ground up through that time and having the website, including myself, win several awards for our content has been nothing short of a joy to be a part of.

In addition, the school and student media helped me land two internships and bylines on both NHL.com and MLB.com, for which I am forever grateful.

There are too many people to thank. From the beginning, thank you to Sam Anthony, Michael Sciulli and Logan Carney for teaching a kid who probably should have done more the ropes of student journalism.

To Nick Hedderick and Jon Hanna, you guys are part of why I have stayed around over the years and you two really helped me find myself as a journalist and anchor. You guys are my friends for life.

To anyone in athletics or covering Robert Morris, thank you for welcoming me and making the atmosphere so great. I have enjoyed it thoroughly and it taught me a lot.

To the people I am leaving the keys of CSN to, this website is in phenomenal hands. Nate Breisinger, Ethan Morrison and Michael Deemer, I have enjoyed running the show with you over the past year, and I cannot wait to see the heights it will be brought to under your leadership.

To the others that I have not mentioned but are still involved with CSN, you are part of why the newsroom atmosphere is so great. All of you have positively impacted my life and are the reason why it was such a joy to serve as the sports editor over the past year.

And finally, to Robert Morris. Thank you for making a kid from five hours away feel right at home during his four years. This school and the people in it are a special group.

From my first piece, which covered a Robert Morris volleyball game when they played in the NAC, through all the articles in between, and finally, my last piece, it has been a hell of a ride.

I hope I can leave being someone that people can turn to. I have loved learning over the years and teaching as well, and the friendships that I have made along the way will be something I never forget as I move forward into the unknown.

I will leave with a quote from a baseball legend because that is the only way I know how.

“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” – Bob Feller

Not bad for a kid from Hockessin, right?