A Personal Note from Victor Ciccarelli

Let’s start by setting the record straight: I’m not a professional educator, and I’m not an academic. I don’t have any degrees or fancy letters after my name just “JSG,” Just Some Guy.

But what I am is a dyslexic who grew up undiagnosed in a time when that meant my place was in the back of the classroom. I struggled through school and always felt out of place. That struggle led me to become an autodidact. I taught myself in ways that worked for me, and what was once a hindrance became my strength. I learned to see patterns others did not, to create and build and thrive in ways others didn’t see. I learned that seeing the world differently was my superpower. It opened doors and opportunities far beyond anything that kid in the back of the classroom ever thought possible.

In my life, I’ve been many things. I’m a disabled vet, an artist, a technologist, and a business owner. I’ve also been a storyteller, a teacher, a lifelong learner, and someone who’s never been afraid to wear multiple hats and do what others say can’t be done. I’ve traveled around the world and seen so much of what life has to offer. But none of that would have been possible if I had listened to what the world told me I was capable of.

In 2013, I founded STEAM Maker Workshop. Over seven years, we brought hands-on, creative education to tens of thousands of students in over 200 schools.

We grew to reach as many as 20,000 attendees per year. When the pandemic hit, it forced us to close, but the impact remained.

I’ve built “Seven Minutes of San Diego,” a virtual reality project featured at the San Diego County Fair and had a custom instalation in Balboa Park. I built the cameras, the presentations, and the displays combining art and tech to show people the world in a new way.

After that, I created the PhyzAI a story-driven AI STEM program in San Diego County that made robotics fun through AI-driven storytelling. Kids loved it. They gravitated to the interactive conversations and found joy in learning.

And now there’s Mythos Anthology my living mythology podcast with 20 episodes and counting, available on all podcast services and featured at conventions like LA Comic Con and LA HorrorCon. I bring mytholological characters to life. We are now turning it from audio to a live video and looking for distirbution on a major network.

All of these projects share the same heart: blending creativity with technology and making learning accessible.

So, why am I doing this? Because I believe a society only grows great when we plant trees whose shade we may never sit under. I want these kids to know that their creativity and technology will shape the future. I’ve lived it, I’ve seen it, and I’m here to make it happen again.

When you ask why LV STEAM League will work, the answer is because I’ve walked this path. This isn’t just a program. It’s a promise—from someone who knows that learning differently can be the greatest gift of all.

Victor Ciccarelli
Victor@ciccarellis.com / 619.321.7029