If you ask Barry Sinnott what Utica means to him, the answer comes quickly: everything.
Today, he serves as the Senior Vice President of Bank of Utica, the community-centered institution in the heart of downtown that his great-grandfather founded. In this role, Barry helps guide hundreds of local nonprofits and municipal partners, including the Utica City School District.
“We spend a lot of time, effort and money supporting the local organizations doing incredible work here. Our business comes from the community, so we believe our support should stay in the community.”
Barry’s UCSD journey began at Jones Elementary, continued through Donovan Middle School and ended at Proctor High School, where he graduated in 1996.
With his mother being from Taiwan, Barry credits Proctor’s diversity for helping him feel welcomed. “The mix of different ethnicities made me feel comfortable and at home.”
He loved Proctor so much that he and his family still live in the city, and his own children now attend Jones Elementary, bringing his story full circle. “I really loved my upbringing here. I’m hoping my kids have the same good experience.”
While Barry speaks highly of teachers across every subject, the music program played a defining role in his school years. He fondly remembers his orchestra teachers, Mr. Ukena and Mrs. McClellan, jazz band teacher Mr. Compton and choir with Mr. Wronka, who still teaches in the district today.
“I hate leaving out teachers,” he says. “There were just so many great ones.”
After graduating from Boston University, Barry’s path took him abroad. He studied Mandarin in Taiwan while teaching English before moving to Beijing.
There, he landed a unique opportunity:
“I was a radio DJ for Virgin Radio,” he says with a smile. “It was a pretty awesome job.”
When that partnership dissolved, he wasn’t ready to return home just yet. So he launched Mayflower Trade, a company connecting businesses in upstate New York with manufacturers in China. Almost 20 years later, it’s still operating.
In 2010, Barry felt Utica pulling him back. He officially moved back and helped carry on his family’s legacy at Bank of Utica. “Bank of Utica is my career,” he says. “It’s a wonderful organization. We do a lot of great things for the community.”
From Jones, to Donovan, to Proctor, to China and back home again, Barry’s journey has given him a perspective he’s eager to share with today’s students.
His favorite advice? “Sit at every lunch table.”
“Get to know as many people as you can,” he says. “There are so many great people in the Utica school system, teachers and fellow students. You can learn a lot from everybody. Networking is important no matter what you choose to do, and Proctor gives you a huge network of people from different backgrounds. Branch out, meet different groups and you’ll grow.”
Barry still keeps in touch with many of his classmates. Some of his closest friends today are the same people he sat next to in grade school. Meeting younger alumni in the community also brings him joy, it’s an instant bond.
Above all, he remains proud of where he came from.