MY KIDS GROW UP AND ... THEY ARE PRETTY SPECIAL - TOMMASO TROIA: FIND A JOB YOU LIKE AND YOU WILL NEVER WORK A SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE

Here's a new story in the series "My kids grow up" dedicated to my former students. Tommaso has always been very active, lively, smart. He was a hard-working student and a self-disciplined boy, though somewhat stubborn, which is, probably, what made him successful in his chosen career. 
He was one of my students for 5 years and he was certainly good at English. Only, it was not an easy task to persuade him to study English Literature. He had other ... priorities! He is an officer in the Italian Army now. And this is his story

Who I was

Hello everybody, my name is Tommaso Troia and, like many of you reading here, I have been lucky enough to be one of  Mrs Spila’s pupils  in my high school years.

In high school I was quite a good student with a passion for swimming, Maths and Physics, who loved studying the English language but  not English poetry and literature. I particularly enjoyed pushing Mrs Spila’s patience to the limit, which is why our beloved teacher will hardly ever forget about me. J

I also spent my spare time playing Magic The Gathering, and studying some computer science on my own.

My Choice

I have to say, I didn’t think about my future much till the fourth year of high school, since I was pretty sure that whatever was in my future, it would be great.

It was right in the middle of my fourth year of high school that I clearly realized what my dream job was. A tough one, both physically and mentally challenging, but with strong values and sound rules to follow. Thus,  when I asked myself what I was going to do in my life, I clearly saw that my choice could be no other than to join the Army. So I started dreaming of entering the Military Academy of  & HModena.

Of course, as I had made my mind, I visited the Italian Army official website and found all the information I needed to enlist, which is what I did.  So, since first step was to pass a series of tests and exams of different types, I started studying and doing some extra exercise to pass whatever test I was to go through.

Military Education

I succeeded and was admitted as a cadet in the Military Academy of Modena just a few months after finishing my school – leaving exams.

In the first two years  everyday life was not relaxed or relaxing, as for any cadet, especially during the first one, when you feel more all the changes respect to your previous life. With so many things to do and such a short time to do them all, always running from here to there, from physical training to university classes you can guess it was not easy.

Furthermore, in the Military Academy,  you receive the basic training to be a good soldier and an officer, which is one of the most engaging part.  I did things that I thought I would never be able to and was taught to challenge my limits.

Military Academy is also a place for strong emotions, which I recall with deep pleasure, and where some friends and ties are built that will hardly ever get lost.

After two years in Modena, cadets are  appointed officers and go to the Scuola di Applicazione, in Turin, to complete their military education. So  did I, being appointed an officer in the Italian Army Signal Corps.

In Turin I also took my oath to the Italian Republic, which I consider one of the most important days of my life. Then   three years of specialized education ensued, which I really loved, and I could not better express how much if not quoting “find a job that you like, and you will never work a single day of your life”.

So my three years in Turin ran away fast, both for the city, which is wonderful, and for the wonderful friends I spent them with. I am convinced that I started military education entering the Academy as a boy, and came out of it a man, after five fantastic years.

And next …

Upon completing my military education,  I was assigned in Rome to finally serve in active duty, which made me truly happy because I felt I was going to get the best from my job, with the great chance to be at the same time close to my family.

I now feel   I receive lots of opportunities to grow up in my job every day and have already served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2014.

Let me then conclude that, despite I have obviously met some obstacles in these years, I’ve also learnt how to face and  how to overcome them. My work in the Army has made me a man I may be proud of.

Tommaso