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.
ដំណើរសិក្សានៅវិទ្យាល័យរបស់គាត់បានកំណត់ផ្លូវជីវិតរបស់គាត់។ វាបានផ្តល់ឱកាសឱ្យគាត់ឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងពីបញ្ហាប្រឈមដែលគាត់បានជួបប្រទះក្នុងវ័យកុមារភាពរបស់គាត់។ Utica ក៏ដូចជាជ័យជម្នះ (ទាំងន័យត្រង់ និងន័យធៀប) ដែលបានកំណត់គាត់។
«មកពីភាពក្រីក្ររស់នៅក្នុងទីក្រុង» Utica ខ្ញុំអាចនិយាយបានថាកន្លែងដែលអ្នកចាប់ផ្តើមមិនមែនជាអ្វីដែលកំណត់ថាអ្នកបញ្ចប់នៅទីណានោះទេ។ មានចំណុចល្អចំពោះអ្វីៗគ្រប់យ៉ាងដែលយើងជួបប្រទះក្នុងជីវិត ហើយទស្សនៈវិស័យ និងវិធីសាស្រ្តរបស់យើងគឺជាភាពខុសគ្នា។ ខ្ញុំត្រូវបានប្រទានពរក្នុងជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំដែលបានភ្ជាប់ទំនាក់ទំនងជាមួយមនុស្សអស្ចារ្យជាច្រើន ដើម្បីធ្វើឱ្យខ្ញុំមានអារម្មណ៍ថាខ្ញុំជាកម្មសិទ្ធិ ដើម្បីជួយខ្ញុំស្វែងរកអំណាចគ្មានដែនកំណត់ដែលនៅក្នុងខ្លួនខ្ញុំ និងដើម្បីជួយខ្ញុំឱ្យដឹងពីទេពកោសល្យរបស់ខ្ញុំ ដូច្នេះខ្ញុំជឿថាយើងទាំងអស់គ្នាមានគោលបំណង” King និយាយ ដោយនិយាយអំពីផ្លូវជីវិតរបស់គាត់នៅក្នុងជីវិត។
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.
កីឡារត់ប្រណាំងមិនមែនជាកីឡាតែមួយគត់ដែលលេចធ្លោរបស់គាត់នោះទេ។ គាត់ក៏ពូកែខាងបាល់បោះផងដែរ ដោយទទួលបានតំណែងជើងឯករងផ្នែកទី 3។ គាត់លើកទឹកចិត្តអត្តពលិកនិស្សិតឱ្យស្វែងយល់ពីកីឡាច្រើន។ នៅពេលសួរអំពីដំបូន្មានរបស់គាត់ចំពោះអត្តពលិកនិស្សិត គាត់បានឆ្លើយថា "រហូតដល់អ្នកក្លាយជាអត្តពលិកឆ្នើម ចូរលេងកីឡាឱ្យបានច្រើនតាមដែលអ្នកអាចធ្វើបាន។ ព្យាយាមមើលអ្វីដែលអ្នកចូលចិត្ត ប៉ុន្តែក៏ត្រូវមើលអ្វីដែលអ្នកពូកែផងដែរ។ ហើយប្រសិនបើអ្នកលង់ស្នេហ៍ ឬទទួលបានជោគជ័យជាមួយកីឡាមួយ ចូរចំណាយពេលវេលា ការស្រាវជ្រាវ និងការលះបង់ឱ្យបានច្រើនតាមដែលអ្នកអាចធ្វើបាន។ យើងទាំងអស់គ្នាមាន 24 ម៉ោងដូចគ្នាក្នុងមួយថ្ងៃ ហើយយុវវ័យភាគច្រើនចំណាយពេលប្រាំ ប្រាំមួយ ប្រាំពីរម៉ោងលើអេក្រង់ ខណៈពេលដែលអត្តពលិកធ្ងន់ធ្ងរកំពុងលើកទម្ងន់ ហើយពួកគេកំពុងសិក្សាភាពយន្ត។ ពួកគេកំពុងធ្វើការអភិវឌ្ឍជំនាញ ពួកគេកំពុងធ្វើចិត្តវិទ្យាកីឡា។ ដូច្នេះរឿងនេះបានក្លាយជាសិល្បៈ និងវិទ្យាសាស្ត្រពិតប្រាកដ សូម្បីតែនៅកម្រិតវ័យក្មេងក៏ដោយ។ ប្រសិនបើពួកគេមិនយកចិត្តទុកដាក់វាទេ វានឹងពិបាកក្នុងការប្រកួតប្រជែង" King និយាយ។
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.”