High-energy, motivated and ambitious. Ask anyone about Nicholas Della Ratta, and that is how they would describe him.
The senior with a double major in finance and economics is also on the men’s lacrosse team. Being recruited to play lacrosse, Della Ratta knew from the first tour he had of Plattsburgh State that this is where he would end up going to school.
The head coach at the time, Ryan Cavanagh, and the current assistant coach Brett McClelland, brought Della Ratta around campus and showed him around when he was first looking at colleges.
“I just really saw like a family feeling between our lacrosse program and also just the entire school, which I really liked and my parents too, so that’s when I knew,” Della Ratta said. “Just walking around campus, it felt right to me and it felt like the right fit, so I knew that this would be the place that I would go.”
Della Ratta took a semester off to go and work at an IBM co-op in Armonk. He worked there for seven months where he worked with a finance team. Della Ratta will be heading back there after he graduates in May to start working for the company full-time.
“It was definitely a learning curve, different than what we do in school but it was a really great experience,” Della Ratta said.
Professor Robert Christopherson talks about how Della Ratta performs in class.
“Nick’s best qualities as a student are that he is hard working, attentive and willing to spend the time and effort necessary to succeed in the classroom,” Christopherson said. “Nick is not afraid to ask and answer questions both in class and during office hours. Further, he not shy about getting involved with club activities on campus.”
On top of keeping up with school, Della Ratta’s dedication and commitment to the men’s lacrosse team does not go unnoticed. Head Coach Joseph May said Della Ratta brings tenacity to the team.
“He’s not afraid to lay the hit, take a hit and sprint until his lungs are on fire,” May said. “He’s a worker, he’s a grinder and when he’s on the field, he makes everyone around him better.”
May said Della Ratta’s mentality is everything that a coach looks for in a player. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win even if it’s at his own expense, but he does everything right when nobody’s watching and gets good grades.
One of Della Ratta’s most exciting and rewarding experiences at PSUC happened during his sophomore year lacrosse season when the men’s lacrosse team won its first conference championship.
The team got into the conference championship and finally beat Cortland, who were one of the four teams. Seeing that go full circle was fulfilling for Della Ratta.
Going full cycle from preseason, the hard days, the days of running and finally holding up the trophy was a really rewarding experience for the team.
Della Ratta’s friends also speak highly of him. Joseph Mineau said Della Ratta never has a frown on his face.
“Nick lives his life looking at the positives and not the negatives,” Minuea said. “His optimism is contagious, making him a great role model for his friends, family, classmates, and teammates.”
According to May, sometimes you can tell when kids have what it takes, and Della Ratta has what it takes to be really successful in whatever he does in life.
“He’s gonna get there and he’s gonna grind, and he’s going to fly up the ranks because people want to work with him,” May said. “He’s a good young man and it will be sad to see him go, that’s for sure.”
