40 under 40 - Ryan DiPanfilo '06 | Springfield College

Who influenced you when you were a student at Springfield College and explain the role they played in your life.

I will be forever grateful to Charlie Redmond, Mary Barnum, Sue Guyer, Barclay Dugger and Wayne Rodrigues for the roles each played in development as a student at Springfield College. I deeply appreciate the belief, honesty, effort and trust they showed me throughout my time as a student. The prevailing thought that I always return to when I think about my interactions with them to this day is that each of them took a lot of time out of their personal lives to invest in my growth as a person. The way they served me as leaders inspires me to try and do the same with others whenever the opportunity presents.

I would be remiss if I failed to also mention my wife Kathryn as one of the most influential people for me at Springfield College. Meeting her on campus undeniably changed the course of my life and the unwavering level of love, support, and encouragement that she has always shown me is truly astonishing. She has sacrificed so much for me to do what I love to do and I would not be who I am today without her.

How has having a Springfield College degree impacted you professionally?

A Springfield College degree has allowed for opportunity and possibility in my career. In my field of work, Springfield College has a well-earned, highly-regarded reputation for producing talented and prepared alumni. I look at my experience at Springfield College as having set the foundation for my professional career. The school challenged me personally and professionally and I know beyond any doubt that I would not have been offered the level of opportunities that I have today if I had not been educated at Springfield College. Successfully representing Springfield College to the best of my ability in my professional setting will always be a significant source of daily motivation for me.

If you could share one piece of advice with today's current Springfield College student, what would it be?

Focus on the journey and not the destination. Identify and focus your energy on what you can control today in the present that can make you better and give you the opportunity to fulfill your potential down the road. Be present as much as possible, embrace challenges and the struggle to improve right now, always be humble, actively seek opportunities for growth and enjoy the small victories in the process because, in my mind, those are what create the most powerful feelings of fulfillment and shape your path to sustained success in the end. We are all continuous works in progress regardless of our stage in life.

Who you want to thank personally for the role they have played in your success?

I am a firm believer that no one gets anywhere in life without help along the way. So, for me to be fortunate enough to have the opportunities that I have today, there are a multitude of people deserving my immense gratitude. Honestly, I could spend days writing a list of people worthy of credit for their undeniable impact on my life in one way or another. For the sake of brevity, I would like to mention several people that stand out in my mind:

My parents James and Patricia DiPanfilo, along with my brothers Patrick, Nolan, and Brett
My wife Kathryn, daughter Kelly, and son Rhys
My grandfather Po DiPanfilo
My in-laws Ronald and Gretchen Becker and brother-in-law Forrest Becker
All of my aunts, uncles, and extended family
My mentor Ken Crenshaw, along with my close friends and teammates Nate Shaw and Ben Hagar
My former teammates PJ Mainville, Neil Rampe, and Brett McCabe
All of my Diamondbacks teammates

I hope that I have and continue to represent all those who have helped me in my life in a way that would make each of every one of them proud.