Donald Young

The success Donald Young has experienced in his life can be traced back to his days of playing baseball for the legendary Scott O’Leary at Dos Pueblos.

Young was a three-year starter for O’Leary’s Chargers, helping them win a Channel League championship in his senior year of 1975. He earned All-CIF honors that year and became a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves. He was scouted by baseball Hall of Famer and Santa Barbara High legend Eddie Mathews.

“Coach O’Leary and baseball taught me how to prepare, how to be a good teammate and how to compete.” says Young. “Those are lessons that have added great richness to many aspects in my life, including academics, family, business and friendships.”

In his third season of pro baseball, Young’s path in life took a dramatic turn. He was hit in the face by a pitch during spring training of 1977 and suffered broken bones.

“A bright spot was that if you are ever going to break your face, it is good to do it in Palm Beach, Fla., where there are a lot of very expert plastic surgeons,” he cracked.

It was during those frustrating and lonely periods of downtime after rehab that he reflected on his future. “It helped me put in perspective baseball as a career versus the possibility of going to college,” he said.

While he loved to play baseball, Young said he learned after he stopped playing that it wasn’t just the game he loved, it was the opportunity to compete. “And life is full of opportunities to compete,” he says.

He took his competitive spirit to Harvard, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1982 and a MBA from the Business School in 1984. He’s made a name for himself in the business world. Since 2001, he’s been the President and CEO of Aspen Aerogels, a leading energy technology company in Massachusetts.

Donald and his wife of 32 years, Caroline, have three children, Charlie (32), Natalie (29) and Mollie (24). They have one granddaughter, Georgia, the daughter of Charlie and his wife, Laura.

Donald’s story of success always stuck with O’Leary. He recalls a story O’Leary told him several years after he graduated from DP. “Some parents were visiting the school to see if it was right for their ballplayer son. They figured out quickly that Coach O’Leary was special, so they focused instead on exploring the academics at DP. Scott said to them in a nonchalant sort of way that, ‘Yes, the academics are strong at DP. In fact, one of our better ballplayers, Don Young, is at Harvard now after being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round.’ It was all the parents needed to hear. Scott had that twinkle in his eye when he told me the story. It really made me proud that Coach O’Leary thought that I reflected well on the school and the baseball program.”