John Rorro arrived at Syracuse from Rockland County, New York, carrying both excitement and uncertainty. Raised in a sports-loving family, he was always the hype man, the loudest supporter, the biggest fan. But college represented something bigger: independence, belonging, and the chance to be seen not through the lens of his disability, but as a student, a leader, and a young man building his future.
InclusiveU at Syracuse
InclusiveU at Syracuse changed everything.
From being featured on television and speaking publicly, to pushing himself into unfamiliar spaces and sharing his personal story, John grew into a confident, visible leader. He didn’t shy away from fear, he faced it head-on.
“I’ve grown more than I ever thought I could,” John said. “Not by avoiding fear, but by facing it.”
Nick Miceli’s journey to Syracuse looked different but was shaped by many of the same values. Growing up in Vermont, sports were his language. Soccer, hockey, lacrosse, teamwork, and competition taught him lessons he still carries today.
In high school, Unified Sports became more than an activity. It became purpose. When Nick saw how inclusion created real opportunity, how everyone was truly on the same team, it stuck. By the time he arrived at Syracuse, he wasn’t just hoping to find Unified Sports, he was searching for it. And on his very first day at the involvement fair, he found it.
Along with John.
“We didn’t just become teammates,” said Nick. “We became brothers through shared effort, accountability, and belief in one another.”
Together, they rose through Unified Sports at Syracuse—players, executive board members, and eventually head coaches. They planned practices side by side, adapted drills on the fly, and learned what inclusive leadership really looks like.
“We’re not just players—we’re coaches, leaders, and people everyone looks to,” said John. “That means something.”
They coached together. Played together. Competed together.
Off the field, they argued sports loyalties like old friends do. Rangers versus Devils. Giants versus Patriots. The rivalries were real, the trash talk honest. But so was the respect, built through shared effort, trust, and the understanding that competition is strongest when it’s rooted in mutual regard.
Their bond grew in the in-between moments, staying late after practice, talking through challenges, celebrating wins, navigating disagreements, and always coming back to the same place: trust.
“Our friendship isn’t perfect, but it’s real,” said John. “We grow through it together.”
Beyond friendship, John and Nick share something deeper: a mission to change how people see intellectual disability.
John wants people to listen, to really listen. To see him not as a label, but as a person with goals, leadership, and purpose.
“I want people to take me seriously, not because of my disability, but because of who I am,” said John.
Nick wants people to understand that inclusion isn’t charity or service, it’s community. The joy, authenticity, and trust he experiences in Unified spaces aren’t acts of kindness. They’re acts of connection.
“People hear ‘disability’ and forget the person. I want them to see John,” said Nick. “Different abilities bring different perspectives, and that makes teams stronger.”
As graduation approaches, both know their day-to-day routines will change. But neither doubts what comes next. This isn’t a college friendship defined by proximity, it’s a lifelong connection, built on shared values, shared laughter, and shared purpose.
“When everyone is on the same team, everything changes,” said John. “If even one person listens and changes how they think, that matters.”