Joseph Dighton

Hometown: Riverside, Calif.
Major: Criminal Justice
Year: Sophomore

As a senior in a California high school, Joey Dighton thought about joining the Air Force. After SVC Volleyball Coach Joshua Stokes saw a video of Joey playing high school volleyball, he encouraged him to apply to Southern Vermont College. In Fall 2011, Joey came east to enroll in SVC's Criminal Justice program and to start practicing with the men’s volleyball team.

Joey is having a great experience at Southern Vermont College. “The people are so friendly,” he said. “You get to know a lot of people, and I love the classroom setting with a low student-faculty ratio (12:1 at the time).” His favorite professors are Renee Merges, who teaches criminal justice; Scott Stein, who teaches psychology; and Joan Sakalas, who teaches social sciences.

When he’s not playing sports, Joey likes to hang out with teammates and friends and listen to the country music of Brad Paisley. Some of his favorite movies are Point Break, Batman series, Pirates of the Caribbean.... Joey takes his studies seriously as well, learning early on as a college freshman that school work at “the college level is a different ball game.” A favorite quote of this hard-working student athlete is from Michael Jordan, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

After graduation, Joey’s goal is to work for the Drug Enforcement Agency. He knows that there will be steps along the way – such as training to become a police officer.