Bryan-Gagliano-Journey-of-Redemption-and-Purpose.php

Bryan Gagliano's Journey of Redemption and Purpose

• Students
• 05/29/2025

Bryan Gagliano, a passionate musician and determined student, has faced his share of life's obstacles. However, he found his way back to purpose at Rock Valley College through resilience and focus.

The term "high school" never sat right with Bryan, and probably won't for the rest of his life. He and his brother attended a private school for grades 6-8. There, he had several friends, but he felt that he never fit in with the crowd and faced a lot of bullying. After middle school, he was homeschooled for his freshman and sophomore years of high school. He enjoyed it, but it became rather lonely. Bryan and his twin brother were enrolled in Rockford East High for their junior and senior years of high school. There was a large student population and he was able find a fit and enjoyed going to school. However, after the second semester, he was informed that he lacked the credits necessary to graduate from a public school due to his previous homeschooling.

He was left with taking placement tests in all subjects to graduate, repeating freshman and sophomore classes, repeating his freshman and sophomore years in the school district, or giving up entirely and dropping out of school. These choices left him feeling depressed, hopeless, and devastated and he decided to drop out of school.

After Bryan dropped out of high school, he faced many ups and downs in life. He fell in with the wrong crowd of people and had many personal challenges, including overcoming substance abuse and addiction. Because of this, he gave up any aspirations of going to college and working his way toward accomplishing his dreams and goals. Bryan never imagined his life would take a turn for the worse so drastically.

For a while, Bryan realized he could get jobs without a high school diploma. He was a waiter, which was rewarding, but he didn't want to be 60 years old working in the same field. Gradually, he began to embrace his potential and what he could accomplish. 
Bryan worked hard and landed a job as a sales associate at a furniture store. He enjoyed his job and the company culture, but he realized he was limited in moving up in the company without a high school diploma or college education.

He researched GED opportunities and chose to attend Rock Valley College because he had previously participated in the Rock Valley Concerto competition for young musicians and played in the community orchestra conducted by Michael Beert.

"One of my most memorable experiences at Rock Valley College is playing bassoon in the community orchestra. Several years ago, I also attended English 101 with Donna Soltys. She is an excellent professor who made me feel that I can achieve anything I set my mind to."
Rosemari Cain, Adult Education Instructor, applauds Bryan's determination. "After previous attempts with life circumstances getting in his way, he decided that now was the time to obtain his high school diploma. This is exactly what he did. He planned, focused, and executed his responsibilities so that he could reach his goal. He probably could have completed it sooner, but he decided to take his time to ensure his success. He took three tests in one day and received his high school diploma."

"I want to enroll in RVC and complete all the basic classes," said Bryan. "I've been a talented musician since I was five, when I started playing the piano. I definitely want to major in music, as I play the piano, organ, and bassoon. I played bassoon with the Rockford Youth Symphony and the local symphony. I feel that not majoring in music would mean letting my potential and talent go to waste. Business is another field I'm considering."

Bryan aspires to obtain degrees in business, music performance, and composition. He has always set his sights on attending a school with a prestigious music department, such as Valparaiso University or possibly even Juilliard School of Music.

"RVC has helped me to obtain my GED. This is a monumental step towards achieving and pursuing my goals. I thank Mrs. Rosemary Cain for all the time effort and compassion she has taken to help those like me jumpstart our futures."