WOODBURY – Through the sizzle of frying pans and clanking of silverwear, NHS’s John Dominello forms connections with every student that walks through his door. His classroom, a hidden gem tucked away downstairs in the back of the school, serves as the perfect place to blend Dominello’s favorite ingredients: enthusiasm, kindness, and a dash of humor. But visitors can almost always smell the aroma of something alluring being forged in his corner of the school when just passing by.
Dominello isn’t just a culinary teacher; during his 17 years at Nonneaug, he has made it his mission to spread the word of kindness and inclusion to all through Unified Buddies Club and the Harbor Program. He works tirelessly as the sole teacher of the culinary arts courses and runs multiple different levels for his students, depending on where his students are at, ranging from introductory cooking courses to advanced culinary for seasoned, burgeoning sous chefs.
“I think food is the best way to connect with people everywhere because I could connect with a student about a favorite recipe or restaurant and that’s not something every teacher can do,” said Dominello.
“For example, my culinary students practice making a lot of different dishes from different cultures. I always make sure to ask everyone if they make a similar meal at home and sometimes, they’ll bring in their version of the dish so we can compare the food. That’s how connections are formed.”
Throughout his time at NHS, Dominello has added multiple different programs to the school, such as the Harbor Program and Unified Buddies.
Unified Sports, a division of Connecticut Special Olympics, is a popular program that Nonnewaug is lucky enough to have, helping students and teachers connect and have fun, but the program also has an underlying message that most might overlook.
“I think that students who participate in Unified Sports get our message and that’s why they’re there,” said Dominello. “Sometimes, that message is not something that students think about on a daily basis, and it takes a personal experience to make that light bulb go off in their head. It takes a person to make [the core beliefs of Special Olympics] real for them.”
For students who participate in Unified-Special Olympics, the experience bridges NHS student-athletes of all ability levels together.
“Unified Buddies was the first club I joined when I started at Nonnewaug, and it has since then opened many doors for me, and I have met so many new people along the way,” said Aaron Carretto, a junior at Nonnewaug who is involved in culinary arts and the Unified Buddies program. “Mr. Dominello really helped me come out of my shell as a shy freshman who didn’t know anybody. Anyone who’s been around him knows that he is just always happy and his energy is truly contagious.”
Dominello’s efforts in Unified Sports and his classroom speak to one of his core beliefs as an educator: someone whose responsibility is to create a place where everyone feels welcome.
Everyone who has ever been lucky enough to have Dominello as a teacher knows that he just has a unique quality that makes him different from everyone else. He works to build a connection with every student who walks into his classroom, student or staff.
Through his no-nonsense instructional style, Dominello has a comedic side that can make class time more enjoyable and interesting.
Chris Engle, one of Dominello’s Culinary II students who is also a part of the Unified Buddies program, appreciates Dominello’s unforgettable teaching style.
“He’s funny but still an assertive teacher that makes class time really fun,” Engle said. “I always know I’m going to have a good time when I walk into Mr. Dominello’s room and he’s got his old music playing while making jokes about our lesson for the day being on ‘Knife Juggling’ or something crazy like that.”
Dominello has not just impacted each and everyone one of his students, but many of the staff here at Nonnewaug also call Dominello a friend.
“For me, he’s way beyond just a culinary teacher,” says Dominello’s colleague Mark Strumolo. “He’s my friend, my go to guy I guess you could say. Whenever I need advice or anything of the sort, he’s always the first person I go to because I value his advice more than most. He’s got a lot more knowledge than just culinary, and he’s a really good friend.”
A key ingredient in what makes Dominello’s connections to students and staff is his unwavering pursuit of perfecting his craft. This skill doesn’t go unnoticed.
“[He] is dedicated and conscious; he’s hard working and kind of a perfectionist,” said longtime NHS staff member Ellie Bruce. “He comes in on his spare time because of how dedicated and prepared he is. He’s a team player that you can always rely on.”
Dominello’s dedication to Region 14 through nearly two decades has created a reputation that’s well-deserved as one of NHS’ best.
“He cares about everybody and has just the best sense of humor, and he knows what’s going on with each and every kid and checks in with everyone,” said Strumulo. “He’s real, you know.”
