As part of a tradition started two years ago, the Sachem Alumni Association lined up notable alumni from the Sachem to speak at this year’s Sachem East and Sachem North graduations.
This year’s speakers were Joe Amplo from the Class of 1995 and Lori Ann LaRocco from the Class of 1989. Amplo spoke at Sachem North on Friday, June 22 while LaRocco spoke at Sachem East on Saturday, June 23.
Amplo, who was inducted to Sachem’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, is the head men’s lacrosse coach at Marquette University and an assistant coach for Team USA, which will play at the World Lacrosse Championships in Israel next month. He led Marquette, a program that’s just five years old, to Big East championships and NCAA Tournament bids in 2016 and 2017. Prior to Marquette he was an assistant coach at Hofstra University, his alma mater, for 10 years. With the Pride, he was a part of 11 NCAA Tournaments, three as a student-athlete and eight as a coach. In 2011 Hofstra had the No. 1 ranked defense in the nation thanks to Amplo who served as the team’s defensive coordinator. As a student-athlete he was an All-America East selection as a senior at Hofstra in 1999. At Sachem, he was a captain for both the football and lacrosse teams. He was a member of Sachem’s Suffolk County and Long Island championship lacrosse teams in 1995 and played in the Suffolk County football championship his senior season.
LaRocco, an inaugural inductee of the Sachem Hall of Honor in 2017, is senior editor of guests for CNBC business news. She coordinates high profile interviews and special multi-million dollar on-location productions for all shows on the network. Her specialty is in politics, working with titans of industry. LaRocco is the author of “Dynasties of the Sea: The Untold Stories of the Postwar Shipping Pioneers” (Marine Money 2018), “Opportunity Knocking” (Agate Publishing 2014), “Dynasties of the Sea: The Ships and Entrepreneurs Who Ushered in the Era of Free Trade” (Marine Money 2012) and “Thriving in the New Economy: Lessons from Today’s Top Business Minds” (Wiley 2010). LaRocco has been working at the network since 2000. Her track record has garnered the trust and respect from Wall Street rainmakers to Washington. Establishing relationships with some of the best in business, LaRocco’s contacts have told her first of business deals in the billions of dollars, enabling CNBC to break the news first. Prior to joining CNBC, LaRocco was an anchor, reporter and assignment editor in various local news markets around the country. LaRocco graduated with a B.A. in Mass Media Communications and Broadcast Journalism from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 1992. She is a proud Sachem 1989 graduate and a proud mom of three active children.
Amplo on speaking at his alma mater: “I am so grateful for the opportunity and humbled beyond words to be asked to speak at the Sachem graduation. Sachem High School set the foundation for so many things in my life and the lessons that I learned there have defined me as I navigate through life. To be able to speak to the most recent graduating class as they begin their next chapter of life is an honor that I will cherish.”
LaRocco on the honor of speaking: “As a fellow Sachem graduate, I am honored to deliver this year’s keynote address at Sachem East’s graduation. There are leaders in all of us waiting to be encouraged and unleashed. I look forward to delivering my message of being courageous and staying focused on achieving your dreams.”
Previous alumni speakers include Bob Greifeld, the CEO of Nasdaq, Laura Gentile, a Vice President at ESPN, and Stephen Costello, a sports business executive. All are inductees of the Sachem Hall of Honor or Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame.
You can learn more about the Sachem Alumni Association at SachemAlumni.org.