Remember that one class everybody wanted to take because of that really cool teacher and all of the fun stories you heard?  That memorable teacher is Paul Spitale, Professor of Liberal Arts at D’Youville College.  Residing in Buffalo, New York, Paul is an actor, entrepreneur, DJ, current PhD. student and a college professor, using every ounce of potential that he possesses.

In 2005, Paul found himself walking the streets of New York again, jobless and unsure of what life had in store for him.  He had just moved back to NY from Hawaii when he realized that he had to start “hustling” in order to find his way.  On a whim and taking direction from a friend, Paul auditioned for a reality show for the A & E network, Confessions of a Matchmaker.  Being a DJ was his first hustle, as he honed his skills at an early age and went to work for several DJ’ing companies.  From there, Paul realized that everything he ever wanted to do was available to him.  “I am where I am out of necessity”.

As they say,”necessity begets invention” and to this end, Paul started his own DJ Company, BlackRock Sound Solutions in 2009. Like many who paved the way before him,  carving a niche for himself as a top notch entertainment provider and disc jockey didn’t happen over-night, it took years and years of hard work interspersed with failure and learning opportunities. Paul now has the resume only few DJs can boast of. He has DJ’ed events for Victoria’s Secret, Bebe and GUESS and continues to land many auspicious gigs.

And of course, he has his hand in the acting pot as well. Paul, recently signed an agreement with Walmart to be in several commercials. The greatest challenge that he’s faced has been getting over his own perceived barriers and realizing that they are removable.  Paul has trained himself to monitor the thought processes that tend to create these self-barriers and weeds them out before they metamorphose into self-defeating beliefs.   This self-realization, he says, is the secret to his pursuit of happiness and purpose.

Most of Paul’s time, however,  is spent in the classroom at D’Youville College, New York.  Teaching an introductory poetry class, he uses his classroom as safe space to discuss issues on civil rights, apartheid, and other human rights issues.  His safe space is an open, inviting, diverse, and non-judgmental place where students feel comfortable enough to have uneasy conversations. One can only imagine the depth of these conversations; driven by one so eclectic.

“Everything I do is my career and my passions have created a career for me”. He does not consider himself to be boxed into a traditional career path or occupation.  Paul Spitale has the courage to explore every dream that he desires and feels that it is our own job to find our own happiness.  “I love everything that I do”.  At some point, we have to realize that fear is not real and our greatest challenge is often our own barriers that we created.

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