“I don’t like to be bored, I like to have new things happen,” says John Cognetta. This straight-backed, muscle-toned man is every bit the curious adventurer his looks indicates. When he’s not at work, he’s exploring nature through backpacking and bicycling. At home, he works in the garden and cooks. He likes to do comedy and write one-liner jokes to entertain people around him. His adventurous attitude is reflected by his exotic tastes in food. “I’ll try some of the weirdest foods,” he says.
As director of Student Activities, Cognetta is in charge of all co-curricular activities at De Anza and dedicated to encouraging student involvement in organizational activities to enhance their learning experiences.
“Students who get involved in some form of activity on the campus actually succeed at a far greater rate than those who don’t,” he says. So he advises students to make use of the school’s vast resources and get involved with the student government, clubs, athletic teams or theater productions to supplement their education.
Cognetta came to De Anza College 19 years ago with a doctorate in organizational leadership, wanting to help students explore opportunities beyond what the classrooms offered and to close the gap between traditional four-year colleges and community colleges.
He says that De Anza’s founder, A. Robert DeHart, believed that students attending community college should have the same experience as those attending a four-year college. “[He] promoted an excited [and] vibrant college life,” Cognetta says, “And I wanted to be a part of that.”
Among his many duties, from student ID card production to campus discipline, Cognetta’s main responsibilities are to oversee the operation of clubs, the monthly flea market and the De Anza Associated Student Body Senate. He helps students learn leadership and life skills in order to advance their careers and interests.
Interacting with students from various cultures and watching them grow is the favorite part of his job. He reels off a list of successful De Anza alumni who participated in the DASB and De Anza clubs during his tenure: a dean at the United States Military Academy at West Point, a CEO at Hertz Corporation, a founder of a successful coffee company across the street from the De Anza campus.
“It’s a challenge, but it is also a rewarding challenge,” he says of his work.