Christian Pulieri, 21, tells us about how he invested in education
There is a small town near Taranto, in Puglia, with just 5000 residents. Maruggio, as it is called, is at the foot of the Murge Hills in north-western Salento, a region with a beautiful coastline and beaches.
Maruggio is also home to twenty-one-year-old Christian Pulieri, a technology and videogames enthusiast. Christian is also a coach for Ambizione Italia for Work, the educational programme promoted with Microsoft Italia.
“I have loved technology since I can remember. I still remember the first computer that entered our house. I was six or seven and couldn’t wait to learn how to use it. However, my mother was terrified by the idea that I would fill it with viruses, so I did not have much freedom to use it. For my confirmation, however, they gave me a portable pc and a new world opened its doors to me. I was 13 and I still remember the excitement of using video-effects software for the first time. I also believe that was when I understood that moms are always right! My notebook was soon full of viruses.”
This is how Christian tells the story of his interest in computers, a zeal that grew year after year with various milestones, such as the opening of a YouTube channel.
“Initially, I thought that I would just film a few videos for fun, but then things got serious. In just over five years, my channel had 290,000 followers, but it was not all fun and flowers. There also were difficult moments. When I was younger, making videos, spending hours in front of a pc and showing oneself off was considered nerdy. At first, I suffered because of this, but then this negativity turned into fuel. I pushed myself more and more and fully immersed myself in my projects. I was drawing inspiration from other YouTubers. I watched and the studied the moves of others who had developed a new on-line reality. I did it to learn, improve and grow.”
A curious aspect of Christian’s story is how he morphed from a video creator into a game developer.
“I have dreamt of becoming a videogame developer since I was in fourth grade. Since then, all my choices have been aimed at reaching my goal. I attended a technical institute where I studied computer science for high school. During my fourth year, I had already conceived my idea of the start-up on which I am now working. I began work on this project in 2020, when I decided to stop playing with YouTube.”
Another important aspect in Christian’s story, who was mainly self-taught, was his investment in education.
“I taught myself many things, reading, studying and following on-line courses. Studying like this allowed me to quickly reach many of my objectives, as everything that I learned was functional to the idea I wished to develop.
It may sound counterintuitive, but now that I am on the other side of the teacher’s desk, thanks to Ambizione Italia for Work, I am learning a lot. Being a teacher is allowing me to reflect on the knowledge I wish to impart, understand how to best convey the concept I’m explaining, and have my students fall in love with the topic. Teaching participants how to use Unity 3D is driving me towards my objectives. The world of learning fascinates me almost as much as that of technology. In fact, my project aims to bring these two worlds together. And the course I am working on with the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and Microsoft is providing me with precious insight.”
Fundamentally, the message that Christian wishes to transmit to participants is to never stop believing in their dreams!”
