by Emma Cromidas
Nicholas Caracciolo is a 2016 North Attleboro High School graduate who is currently enrolled as a freshman at Bryant University in Rhode Island. After graduating high school, Caracciolo said that he experienced a “cliche, bittersweet feeling.”
“I was so happy to be going to my top choice school, but I also realized that I was officially done with a whole part of my life and my childhood was over. That was a really weird feeling,” explained Caracciolo.
Current students at NAHS remember Caracciolo as a lively person.
“I met Nick when I was a junior and he was a senior. We were both in physics class together and he was so friendly and easy to talk to. We still talk to each other in our physics group chat a year later,” said Cole Swanson, a current senior at North Attleboro High School.
Caracciolo’s favorite teacher at NAHS was Ms. Hanley because of her “passion for Spanish, her desire for everyone to do their best and the way that she helped them prepare for life in the real world.” Subsequently, his favorite classes in high school were the ones that Ms. Hanley taught, because he thought they were always exciting and useful.
Although Caracciolo only participated in high school sports during his freshman and sophomore years, he was heavily involved in S.A.D.D. for the duration of his high school career. SADD is a club at North Attleboro High School where students get together to express their stances against destructive decisions.
“I loved S.A.D.D. because everyone is so friendly and accepting. Also, I feel like I was the epitome of what the club is all about so I enjoyed being a good example for other students,” said Caracciolo.
Caracciolo made many friends during his four years at the high school through the classes he took, mutual friends, and connections outside of school.
“Some people I only met my senior year and I regret it because a lot of them are great people,” said Caracciolo.
Junior Sydney Hawkins met Nick during his senior year but says that she would’ve loved to spend more time with him.
“I only ever had one class with him and I didn’t even know who he was at the beginning of the year, but as the year progressed we started to become great friends. He was really quiet at first but when we got to know each other, he was like a different person,” explained Hawkins. “He’ll be my friend for a long time.”
During his first years at NAHS, Caracciolo was shy and didn’t like answering questions or presenting in front of the class. However, by junior and senior year, he came out of his shell and became more vocal in and out of the classroom. “I am now a very outspoken person, very similar to how I was as a senior. I’ve matured a lot more,” said Caracciolo.
For Caracciolo, the transition from high school to college “could not have worked out better.” He is a freshman at Bryant University and feels that he chose the perfect school.
“College is so much different from high school, which I love. You become an adult and you aren’t treated like a child as you often are in high school. The courses that I’m taking are more rigorous but I like to challenge myself,” explained Caracciolo.
Caracciolo finds it easier to manage his time in college by keeping a calendar where he organizes his daily schedule. With at least 2-4 hours of homework a night, he uses the calendar to manage when he can do his homework, when he can hang out with his friends and when he has to attend class.
One day, Caracciolo hopes to work as a marketing manager where he will be responsible for running the marketing department at a major company. This career interests him because he “likes the idea of having a product and figuring out how to make it appealing to people.”
As Caracciolo looks back on his years at NAHS, he hopes that he will be remembered as “that smart, friendly kid who was funny and was always there for you and will still always be there for you.”
Caracciolo shared a few words of wisdom for current NAHS students saying,“If I could give some advice to the current students at the high school, I would tell them not to be afraid to take higher classes because I regret not challenging myself more. Also, get every point in a class that you can take because every point counts and I often didn’t realize that until it was too late. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Lastly, have fun. You have to be there whether you want to or not, so you might as well make the best of it.”
The First Launch 