![The Artioli Family]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1614011920/suffieldacademyorg/ey0rek6c79x4nu69knp5/Legacy_Artioli2.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1614011920/suffieldacademyorg/ey0rek6c79x4nu69knp5/Legacy_Artioli2.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1614011920/suffieldacademyorg/ey0rek6c79x4nu69knp5/Legacy_Artioli2.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1614011920/suffieldacademyorg/ey0rek6c79x4nu69knp5/Legacy_Artioli2.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1614011920/suffieldacademyorg/ey0rek6c79x4nu69knp5/Legacy_Artioli2.jpg","width":1600}])
Bob Artioli met his wife Traci while both playing soccer at Elon University. Soccer in fact was always an important part of Bob’s life and even long before it led him to meet his life’s partner. “I was interested in Suffield because it is widely known for its athletics programs and soccer was a priority for me at the time and something I wanted to pursue in college,” he explains. “It therefore made sense to apply.
By the time Bob was a junior, his varsity soccer team won the Class A New England Championship. He and his team would again win the ensuing season when he was a senior after a hard-fought game against Belmont Hill hosted by Amherst College. Bob remembers, “Winning that championship is my most memorable Suffield experience because I did it with a group of best friends I had made over my four years at Suffield.”
I know we all have our own special connections, but I miss the relationships I built with friends and faculty and all our individual interactions on a daily basis. Bob ’90
Not only was Bob a successful soccer player but he was also named captain of the varsity lacrosse team as a senior and is proud to have reached the New England Championship Finals with that squad. “I feel like the coaches at Suffield had the greatest impact on my life,” he says. “One unique benefit for me over attending public school was the interactions I had with my coaches on the field as well as in the classrooms, dining hall, and all-school events. They were not just coaches but mentors and role models and examples of who I wanted to grow up to be in both my professional and family lives. Teachers and coaches like Mr. Kinne, Mr. Samii, Mr. Lowe, Mr. Godin, Mr. LaPlante, and Mr. Ide all helped take a sometimes cocky, aggressive know-it-all freshman boy and shape him into a confident, humble, respectful young man with controlled aggression by the time I graduated. And this translated to all aspects of my life.” Because of his love for athletics and passion for being a parent, Bob himself has been a coach for the last 20 years.
“My time at Suffield affected my life in so many ways,” he insists. “But the most profound impression that stuck with me and that still rings true at Suffield today is the sense of community and family the school instilled in my life. That is what makes Suffield such a special place. I met and became friends with students and faculty from all over the country and world and learned how to find common ground to build relationships with the most diverse and awesome people I have ever met. That would never have happened had I not attended Suffield Academy.”
Like many before have said and many will continue to say, Bob is proud to be a legacy family because his children are undergoing the same experiences with some of the same role models he had. Everyone knows that high school years can be exciting and profound but also much like an emotional rollercoaster while navigating the growth and development through teenage years. High school of course carries both cherished and regretful memories and that is exactly the benefit of having positive role models and support in a nurturing community like Suffield. “It is pretty cool a lot of the teachers and coaches I mentioned earlier are still around campus and working their crafts,” notes Bob. “Not only do I get to catch up with them often as a parent but Nina and Bobby are getting the benefit of interacting with them as role models during their own journeys at Suffield. And of course, the world-class upgrades to campus and facilities also make us very proud to be a legacy family.”
I had such an awesome experience over my four years at Suffield and so it is impossible and unfair to name only one faculty member who had the greatest influence on my life. Bobby ’20
Named after his father and also a former member of boys’ varsity soccer, Bobby Artioli Jr’s favorite subjects were computer science and art. His favorite place on campus is Landis Student Union because he says, “It is a great place to relax and catch up with friends throughout the day.” Like his father, Bobby enjoyed the unique and diverse relationships built within the Suffield community and says that these aspects of his experience are what he misses the most. “I know we all have our own special connections, but I miss the relationships I built with friends and faculty and all our individual interactions on a daily basis,” Bobby says appreciatively.
Often a single faculty member will have a great impact on a student’s life but in many cases, it is difficult to select just one. Bobby explains, “I had such an awesome experience over my four years at Suffield and so it is impossible and unfair to name only one faculty member who had the greatest influence on my life. From Mrs. Graham in the arts to Mr. Healy in computer sciences or Mr. Mecure in history or Mr. Warren as my advisor and coach, there are so many faculty members who had a profound impact on my growth and development.”
Again and again, students and alumni will say that Suffield is a very special place and it is often repeatedly stated in these legacy profiles. The plain fact is that Suffield is indeed a special place to learn, grow, mature, and advance as an intellect and person. “Suffield allowed me to explore and pursue passions of mine that were not readily available at my local high school,” says Bobby. “Head of School Cahn has done a great job maintaining a strong sense of community with a culture of inclusion, where it is okay to step outside your comfort zone and try something entirely different without having to worry about whether or not you will fit in.”
Nina Gabrielle Artioli was born on May 6, 2004, and is the third member of the Artioli family to attend Suffield Academy. While her brother’s favorite place on campus is the student union and her father’s favorite place is obviously Sanderson Field, where he and his championship teams played home games, Nina prefers the patio outside Tremaine Art Center. “It is a great place when the weather is nice to hang out with friends and enjoy campus views,” she says. “Suffield is a special place where I have made friends from all over the country and world.”
Although her favorite location may not be a playing field, this by no means puts Nina outside the make-up of an athlete. She is on the junior varsity volleyball and varsity ski teams and credits her head coach of girls’ varsity lacrosse Ms. Mitchell as having the greatest impact on her life at Suffield. “Ms. Mitchel is my advisor and coach and is my go-to whenever I have anything I need to talk about,” Nina explains. “She has helped me to be more confident and outgoing in my classes and on the lacrosse field. I look up to her as a young Suffield alumna who went on to play lacrosse at Franklin & Marshall while successfully balancing academics and sports. And now she is back helping students like me get the most out of their Suffield Academy experience.”
Like her father, Nina is a proud member of the Suffield community. She carries herself with kindness and intention and appreciates everything the school has to offer. “Suffield has definitely had a positive impact on my academics,” she says. “I have learned to manage my time well between athletic commitments, academic demands, and all the social activities. I feel well prepared for the demands waiting for me in college.”
Suffield is a special place where I have made friends from all over the country and world. Nina ’22
The Artiolis come from a large Italian family where Sunday dinners are a long-standing tradition and a time to catch up with each other and the things that occurred over the past week. Especially with Bobby and Nina at Suffield together and their oldest daughter Grace at the University of Connecticut (Class of 2021), the weeks fly by with daily commitments and demands. “It is the only one day a week when we can all be together,” explains Bob. “And along with 10 to 15 of our closest friends and family, we like to catch up on what happened during the week and what may be in store for us in the upcoming days ahead.”
The Artioli family lives nearby in Suffield and Bob is now the owner of Artioli Chrysler Dodge Ram located in Enfield, Connecticut. Bob grew up working in his family’s New Car Dealership while selling cars during his late high school summers and throughout his college years. After graduating from Elon, Bob returned home to work with his father at the car dealership. Two years later, Bob graduated from the NADA Dealer Academy in McLean, Virginia, and began working his way up through all the departments in the store until he eventually became General Manager and eventual owner. He concludes, “Traci and I just love what Suffield has done for Bobby and Nina and I really cherish all the memories that have made up my over 30-year association with the school.”
