Q&A with ATD Board Member Nick Certo

Achieving the Dream is grateful to welcome Nickolas P. Certo to its Board of Directors. Formerly the senior vice president at PNC Bank, Nick brings a wealth of experience surrounding higher education banking and student finance to the board. Keep reading to learn more about the newest addition to team ATD.

Q: What drew you to Achieving the Dream’s mission? And what do you hope to bring to the Board of Directors?

A: The mission of Achieving the Dream captured my imagination. I can clearly see how community colleges effect positive change in our communities and the value ATD brings to their efforts. I worked in the higher education space for the last 16 years of my career at PNC Bank. During those years I gained a deep respect for the administrators and educators who work hard to fulfill the missions of our colleges and universities. I built a network among them and worked with them closely. By using my experience in higher education, finance, and banking, I hope to add value to the work done by Achieving the Dream.

Q: As the first in your family to go to college, how have your experiences shaped your ideas about higher education?

A: My education opened innumerable doors for me and profoundly changed the arc of my life. It gave me the ability to make a difference in the lives of my family members and ultimately my community. I brought what I learned home to help my parents and siblings. I advised them on investing, home buying, banking, and other topics that were part of my studies. In this way I returned something to the village that made college a reality for me. I learned firsthand how providing a higher education is much more than an investment in one person’s future; educating one person is an investment that can benefit everyone in their family, their community, their world.

Q: What’s a fun fact about you that most people would find surprising?

A: I am a mountain, forest, and winter person. By that I mean I would rather hike in the mountains than walk on the beaches, rather ski than sail. Mountains make my pulse rise and forests are a spiritual place for me. Cold weather isn’t a negative, to me it’s an opportunity for fun and free-spirited enjoyment. Like skiing — where else can a man my age go to dress up like an astronaut and play in snow all day?

Q: On your ATD bio page, you describe education as the “foundation upon which [people’s] lives can be built.” What is one thing you think community colleges can do to become stronger foundations for America’s learners?

A: As I became more educated, I became more valuable to my family, friends, and community. I funneled what I learned to many others who were not privileged to earn a degree. The times when I could use my education to help others have been some of my most deeply felt achievements. Thankfully, that was an organic process for me — I naturally gravitated to being less self-centered and more community-oriented. That shift in thinking isn’t automatic. I was lucky to have mentors and guides who showed me the way. I believe community colleges are uniquely positioned to be the bridge between their students and their communities. It should be the mission of community colleges to prepare their students to make a better life for themselves and to lift their communities as well.