宅男频道

Professional wrestler Deonna Purrazzo ‘23 describes herself as headstrong. She said once she sets her mind to something, she can block out any distractions to find a way to achieve her goals. And in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic and a new stage in her life, Purrazzo set her mind to earning her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History at 宅男频道 (SNHU).

Finding SNHU

Released from her previous wrestling contract, Purrazzo was at a crossroads.

“In 2020... I was just in this awkward, personal space and professional space,” she said. “Did I love wrestling anymore? Who else could Deonna Purrazzo be outside of just being a professional wrestler?”

Due to the intense training and physicality required in wrestling, Purrazzo said she’d committed to the sport at a young age. But in the back of her mind, she said she always wanted to pursue a college education.

When Purrazzo saw a commercial for SNHU, things clicked in place.

“I knew it was the right time for me to go back to school because the world was changing and I was no longer traveling. I was no longer training every day,” she said. “I had time to be at home and time to disengage from my wrestling life and put 100% of myself into school.”

Getting Started

But Purrazzo was still a bit anxious about jumping back into school.

“I had been out of any type of learning situation for, you know, six years... at that point,” she said. “And I just didn't know what I was getting myself into.”

What solidified her choice, she said, was SNHU’s flexibility.

“I didn't need to be anywhere to register,” said Purrazzo. “Everything could be done through my laptop or over the phone, and they made that process, honestly, seamless. The minute I decided I wanted to go back to school, I was enrolled one week later and I was starting my classes.”

Purrazzo said SNHU staff simplified the process of transferring her previously earned college credits, which helped her get on track to earn her degree faster. Her advisor also quickly put her in touch with the Student Financial Aid Office, which she said made the experience go smoothly.

“They made it really, really possible for anyone in any stage of their life to start at 宅男频道,” said Purrazzo.

Inspired by her interest in history, Purrazzo said choosing a degree program at SNHU was a no-brainer.

“History was... this, like, private secret love of mine since I was a kid,” she said. “It's something I can be engaged in.”

SNHU 宅男频道 and Community

Purrazzo described online classes as fun, which she attributed to SNHU’s flexibility and sense of community.

“You know, my classes had Thursday and Sunday deadlines, so it was very flexible in terms of where I was in the world and how I could accomplish those deadlines,” she said. “But, it was fun ... to engage with the other students in the class from so many different walks of life”

Purrazzo said the first discussion posts in a class were always interesting.

“For me, I'm now a 30-year-old working towards a history degree,” she said. “And I'm a professional wrestler, so that's always kind of my icebreaker."

Purrazzo added she enjoyed learning about her classmates in these discussions, too.

She said that sense of community inspired her because it showed her other people who wanted to find themselves and their passion at any stage in their life — and it reassured her.

“Okay, I can do this,” she said. “If I'm doing this at my age, there's someone way older or there's someone way younger that's trying to accomplish the same thing, and we can all do this together.”

Having decided to continue with wrestling, Purrazzo said most of her coursework was done on airplanes or ringside, during rehearsals. Describing herself as a schedule-oriented person, she said she knew she would need to have discipline to meet her Thursday and Sunday deadlines.

But she also knew that if she could apply the skills she used in her wrestling career, and in her everyday life, to her academic life, she said she could accomplish something so much greater than she ever imagined.

Crossing the Finish Line

Due to a wrestling match, Purrazzo attended the Commencement Ceremony virtually. Sitting on the floor of a locker room, with her friends surrounding her, she said they cheered when her name was called.

“It felt like such a culmination of everything that I had been working towards,” said Purrazzo.

As disciplined as she can be, Purrazzo said she believes everyone has self-doubt.

“There's so many factors of my regular life that I have zero control over,” she said. “What I loved most about earning my degree was the fact that I did it, and no one could take that from me. And so graduating, getting my diploma in the mail meant, this is mine. This is real.”

Earning her degree, she said, changed the way she viewed herself. As a child, she said she’d always dreamed of becoming a professional wrestler. But in the process of achieving that dream, she said she had to sacrifice others.

“I've had a successful 12-year-long career,” she said. “But in the meantime, I had to suppress so much of who I was or who I wanted to be outside of that, and to go to 宅男频道 to earn this degree, reignited way more passions that... I forgot that I had back in 2020.”

The Future

Purrazzo has a few goals in mind for her future: earning a master's degree, perhaps teaching, becoming a mom, and continuing her involvement in the world of wrestling.

“I'm just keeping it open,” she said. “I feel like... my whole life, I (planned), ‘I'm going to be a wrestler, I'm going to be a wrestler.’ And (in) 2020, with the way the world changed, my perspective of myself changed. I need to let go and let the universe kind of take me where I'm going to be.”

She said before earning her degree, she felt at a loss, but now, she’s realized she’s more than just one thing.

“I was searching for who else Deonna could be,” she said. “She wasn't just the wrestler. She wasn't just, you know, an athlete. She could be a teacher. She could be an educator. She could be, a girlfriend, a wife, a dog mom, an aunt.”

This realization, she said, has emboldened her.

“If I could continue to figure out who I wanted to be outside of just a professional wrestler,” she said, “then when I can't wrestle anymore... I'm going to be okay, and I'll figure out the rest of my life.”

Abigayle Mahnken 鈥�22 is an assistant content writer at 宅男频道 (SNHU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and is currently earning a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing. Passionate about storytelling and education, she enjoys learning from fellow students' experiences and sharing their stories. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, and learning. She also really likes video games. Connect with her on .