Paolo Termine knows the art of anticipation. He learned it in years of his career as a defender, with a past in the youth team of Sampdoria enriched by the Scudetto Allievi won in 2012 at the end of an epic final, with twenty penalties, the last of which was converted by the Ligurian class of ’95 . After some experience among the amateurs, Termine was among the first to seize the opportunity made available by YesWeCollege, which helped him obtain a scholarship to fly to the United States and begin his career as a student-athlete. Four intense years at Notre Dame College of Ohio, as a defensive column for the Falcons, of which he also wore the captain’s armband, continuing at the same time an academic path that saw him obtain a double major in International Business and Finance. The advance, we were saying, is one of Paolo’s specialties. In fact, he graduated five months ahead of schedule, completing his studies in December and then diving into the world of work, in the heart of Manhattan. In our chat he told us about the present and the past, explaining the importance of the adventure as a student-athlete.
Hi Paul! Even when you graduated, you played ahead of the curve, like the defender you are.
“True, my academic career should have ended in May, but by working hard I managed to bring it forward by five months, graduating in the December session. Unfortunately we weren’t able to enjoy the final ceremony due to the pandemic, but having brought home the first goal was a source of great satisfaction.”
Graduating early allowed you to immediately compete in the world of work.
“I activated my visa on January 13, with my first effective day as a worker in the USA. Thus I began the visa year that is granted to international students, and I found a position in a Canadian company that works in the world of fashion. I was lucky, because in my current job there is also a bit of Italy: the company in fact buys fabrics in our country, then processes them in Montreal and markets them in the United States. I had previously had the opportunity to gain experience in the sector, thanks to an internship in which I was involved last summer which helped me understand the perspectives and points of interest of fashion”.
From college in Ohio to work in New York: quite a leap.
“Manhattan is unique, and obviously living and working there gives you that something extra that makes everything more exciting. I had already learned about it last summer, given the internship I did in Brooklyn: it is not a simple city, especially due to the rhythms which are a bit crazy. But I certainly can’t complain. I live in Central Harlem, a very interesting and ideal area for a running lover like me, because in a few minutes I can get to Central Park to go running in one of the places that make New York special. The office where I work, however, is in Bryant Park: very central, but at the same time a stone’s throw from the greenery and with a view of the park. Really not bad.”
One year available to convince the company to focus on you. Not easy, even in light of the pandemic which has complicated the situation.
“The one-year work visa allows international students to test themselves in the world of work and earn the respect of the company, which is fundamental because they will have to sponsor the visa application to allow you to stay in the USA. Working in America was one of my goals, but I wouldn’t see the possibility of returning to Europe as a fallback, on the contrary. However, I will have had important experience on my CV, which is allowing me to learn many things and put my skills to the test.”
How useful is your adventure as a student-athlete in these first months as a worker?
“The more time passes, the happier I am with the choice I made, because I am convinced that being a student-athlete represents an opportunity for growth not only in sport, but also in terms of work. Playing sports and studying puts you to the test: it requires excellent time management skills to reconcile all commitments and carry them out as best as possible. My four years as a student-athlete were wonderful because they made me have fun practicing the sport I love, they allowed me to make friends that will remain alive forever and above all they taught me to manage my time and prepare for the world of work . In my working career, in fact, I have an important wealth of experience, accumulated during my sporting career. A factor that we often tend to underestimate in Italy.”
Explain to us better.
“We think about teamwork, comparing it to being part of a sports team. Football experience is an important advantage in this sense, because team sport accustoms you to team working without knowing it. In a locker room you learn to respect roles and rules, to have your place within the group, to be a leader or follow a leader. Sometimes we forget or tend to take this aspect for granted, which is actually highly regarded in the American world of work, even more so for those like me who have also been lucky enough to have been the captain of their own team.”
When you look back, how do you evaluate your football journey at Notre Dame?
“They have certainly been intense and very beautiful four years, full of both personal and team satisfaction. I won many individual awards and became captain, although perhaps there was some regret about last season, where we had to surrender to the usual Charleston (Division II national champion for the second time in four years, ed.) . Now I’ve taken a break, even before the explosion of the pandemic, but as soon as the situation normalizes I think I will look for the right context to go back to doing one of the things I love most.”
In addition to the collegiate one, you also had the experience in the summer leagues.
“I stayed in the States at the end of my second year, to play PDL for Seacoast United, a team from New Hampshire about fifty minutes from Boston. It’s an experience that I recommend to all kids who leave for the USA: you spend a summer in which you just have to think about playing and meeting new people, without the commitments of studying. Furthermore, it is very stimulating to compete with men who play with the aim of showing off in the eyes of professional teams, or with guys who want to gain positions in view of the next draft. A fantastic experience also on a human level, which personally made me discover a second family in the United States.”
Tell us
“I lived with a host family, whose three children were part of the academy of the team for which I played in those three months. I was welcomed as one of their own, and now I can say that I can count on a real second family. I was their guest when I couldn’t return to Italy for the holidays, we are very close and the children have become a bit like my American brothers. An experience that changed and enriched me, which was added to that as a student-athlete in which I formed very strong bonds, learning and giving as much in return to try in my own small way to change the stereotype of Italians abroad”.
What are your fondest memories from your experience as a student-athlete?
“The first return home, for Christmas, immediately comes to mind. Being away for three months seems like a lifetime to you, but over time you will learn that in reality they seem like very little compared to all the experiences you have. Arriving at the end of the journey, passing the last exams and looking back, realizing that time has really flown by, is another emotion that I will carry with me forever. Five years ago I wouldn’t have even thought of graduating, but I actually managed to do so a few months early, and moreover in the United States by taking two majors in International Business and Finance. I am proud and look ambitiously towards the next goals. But if I could go back, I would sign now to start all over again and relive this splendid journey.”
