Communications program graduate Nicolas Ciocchi (2016), won a 2017 Emmy Award for Sports Broadcasting in an Outstanding Studio Show – Daily category, which he produced for his work at MLB (Major League Baseball) network.

Ciocchi was offered the job at MLB and started working only a few months after graduation. Ciocchi said he put in long hours and a lot of hard work for two years before he was honored with his Emmy. His work paid off when he found out that he, along with his coworkers at MLB, received the prestigious honor.

“It’s something off my bucket list,” Ciocchi said.

He took on many projects during his time at MLB. During the offseason, Ciocchi worked with the National Hockey League (NHL).

Ciocchi said he got to work with and meet Hall of Famers and other players he had watched on television. He worked with graduates who hailed from big named schools, such as Syracuse University. They told him they had never heard of Misericordia University in the small town of Dallas, Pennsylvania, Ciocchi said.

That was when he realized that he could compete with anyone. “We’re all getting an education. You can do anything,” he said.

Ciocchi’s found his passion for sports broadcasting as a communications major. One of Ciocchi’s earliest memories is calling play-by-plays for basketball games during his sophomore year because his friend and roommate was on the team.

Ciocchi was also involved with the university’s television network MCN 87, and the show “Hey You MU,” helping behind-the-scenes in production until he became the host in the 2014/2015 academic year.

Ciocchi said his time at Misericordia shaped his life. The small class sizes and the opportunity to develop relationships with professors, such as Melissa Sgroi and Dan Kimbrough, helped him along the way.

Ciocchi has two words of advice for students: “Work hard!”

“Life is hard. It may not work out, but keep trying,” Ciocchi said.

He added that the work gets stressful, but it’s always easier when you have people around to support you when you need it.

Ciocchi recently decided to leave MLB to pursue more diverse opportunities.  He knows he is ready.