How should I start this? How should I introduce myself? These were the thoughts plaguing me all day before I began to write this blog, my first blog for St. Mary’s University College – my first blog ever, for that matter. What I came up with, after hours of painstaking internal deliberation I might add, is this…

Hello, my name is Willy Garcia.

Well, to tell the truth, that’s not the whole story. I actually have five names: Willy Angelo Vittorio Garcia Pinto. I know, I know, that’s heavy. Every time I say it all aloud I feel like an old Spanish aristocrat, but there’s a story there, and I figured, you know, we’re spending this 2012-2013 year together, so let’s get the formalities out of the way right out of the box, shall we? So like I said, there’s a story behind my name, as there is behind everyone’s name, whether it’s long or short, common, interesting, or downright strange. As the story goes, my father’s name is Willy Gustavo Garcia Ascencio, therefore, I am Willy II; Willy 2.0 if you will, newer and more improved. You might notice that we have Garcia in common, but he is Ascencio as well, where I am Pinto, because that is my mother’s maiden name. Angelo is actually a part of my first name, it is not my middle name, but nobody calls me Willy Angelo except family. You can try it, but I mean, a lot of people have tried, and it’s always just awkward, but if you feel up to it, try it next time you see me. As for Vittorio, my actual middle name, my father, and his father before him both went to Italian schools in Peru, where I was born as well, and my father fell in love with Italian culture, so he wanted to give me an Italian name, ergo, Vittorio. This love of Italian culture, by the way, is also a love that has been passed down to me. So there you have it, the short version of my name’s story. There’s actually a longer version, but I might save that for a later post. The point of that was to establish that there are stories behind everything, especially a person’s name. My aim with this blog is to bring forth to you my own story, as a student, and the stories of others, as well as the stories of the goings on in this wonderful little school, nestled in the heart of Fish Creek Park.

This is going to be one awesome ride, and I hope you all share this experience with me for this school year. You will get to know me, and for those of you who already know me a little, you may see a side, or several sides, which you haven’t seen. I also want to get to know you, the readers. Comment on the blog, come talk to me at school. Tell me your story, and if it meets my subjective standard of awesome, I might just put it on the blog, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

So let’s have a good run this year, let’s get through midterms, getting up for your 8:30am classes, laboring through papers, cramming for finals, and once that’s done, let’s do it all again next semester! Don’t worry, I’ll be there, holding the torch through that dark cave and walking alongside you throughout.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this first of many blogs this year. Stay tuned, and keep reading!