The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications received about 4,100 applications for 473 spots in the class of 2023 cohort. Many of those successful applicants were accepted because of their high GPAs and SAT scores.

But few applicants were able to mention that they had worked for NBA All-Star player D’Angelo Russell.

Nick Zelaya, an 18-year-old freshman from Wallingford, Connecticut, came to Syracuse University with an extensive resume noted with some achievements in graphic design and an aspiration to be like SportsCenter anchors Stan Verrett and Neil Everett, Zelaya said.

“If it begins with an ‘E’ and ends in ‘SPN,’ put me there,” Zelaya said.

Four years ago, Zelaya started his graphic design career. He now has an Instagram page with more than 4,000 followers that has caught the attention of pro and college-level athletes. Zelaya said he’s worked for Shane Ray, a former Denver Broncos linebacker as well as a player from Ohio State.

Zelaya said he had wanted to go to SU since he was 9-years-old. Courtesy of Nick Zelaya

In his short graphic design career, Zelaya listed D’Angelo Russell as one of the most prominent players he’s worked for. Zelaya said he remembered creating a design of Russell and posting it, in hopes that it would catch the then Ohio State player’s attention. It worked, and Russell direct messaged him on Instagram asking him to create more designs, he said.

“I just got some pictures of him because he was one of my favorite athletes and I wanted to mess around with different styles. I thought: what’s a cool thing that if he were to see it he would say, ‘dang.’”

Zelaya has continued to master his craft by watching Tyson Beck, an Australian graphic designer who has done work for the NBA.

Through his designs, Zelaya said he is able to showcase his creativity and by doing so, it paid off in the long run as SU was his first choice — a school he said he “bled orange” for since he was 9 years old.

Like in the world of art and professional sports, part of becoming successful is getting noticed, and Zelaya recognizes this by actively promoting the names, faces and highlight tapes of unknown high school basketball players, as well as working with well-established ones, he said.

Josh Reaves, a high school senior and Mount Saint Mary’s University basketball commit, said Zelaya helped him promote his name and highlights through an interview he coordinated, an act he was grateful for.

“He’s a natural. He’s a guy that says, ‘This is my first time trying this, let me know what you think’ and then when you see it, it looks like he’s been doing it for years,” Reaves said. “He created an interview of me about my commitment and it was a hit within five to six days.”

Zelaya played football and basketball in high school, but he knew because of his size he would have to find a different avenue in order to get into a school like SU. He admitted that at one time, he was considering playing Division III.

While Zelaya said students should focus more on having passion and drive to try new things, and less about test scores and a high GPA, he still values a college degree.

Courtesy of Nick Zelaya

“I feel like it’s always good to have a degree in your back pocket because in the end it’s better to go to college now and get it over with,” Zelaya said.

But Zelaya said graphic design is not his main goal. Despite it playing an important role, he sees it as a “means to an end.” While he is currently more behind the camera, going forward, he hopes to create projects where he has a more forefront presence.

In the past two weeks he has started his own podcast, The Late Night Peel, where he covers both professional and NCAA Division I athletics. Currently the podcast has one episode.

While Zelaya has worked for the recognition he has received, his younger sibling Alex said he still sees him as nothing more than his brother.

“I think if he works hard and uses the support he has, he’ll go far,” Alex said. “Kid’s got the dedication and work ethic of some of the great ESPN anchors today. It’s just a matter of how much he wants it.”

Published on September 10, 2019 at 11:27 pm