Raised in a small town in Italy in the 1980s, Marco grew up playing soccer. But when high school graduation came, his soccer days ended. In Italy, you either play ball, or you go to school. You don't do both. College sports, athletic scholarships — they weren't an option. Marco's mother had impressed upon him that education was important, and sports were for fun, so he headed off to college, pursuing a dual degree that allowed him to study for the first two years in Italy and the second two years abroad.
