I risked.

I signed a PRO contract with the New York Cosmos right after my Bachelor’s.

I’ll never forget that moment: joining a club where Pelé, Raúl, Beckenbauer all played, felt like living a dream.

The decision to sign, however, came with two risks:

• Not financing a potential MBA with a soccer scholarship, since I was running out of athletic eligibility

• Taking a gap year immediately after graduation

I knew that signing was a bold move, but what eventually happened was nothing I could have anticipated:

The Cosmos... failed.

It was all over in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, I was left with:

❌ No income
❌ No plan B
❌ A rent to pay in the middle of Long Island, alone

On top of that, my visa was also expiring.

Those weeks were the most stressful I've had since coming to the US: I was already making plans to go back home to Italy for good.

But then… a phone call.

Somehow, the Seton Hall University athletic aid office secured a one-year extension of my eligibility, which allowed me to have my MBA paid for.

Phew.

Looking back, enrolling has been one of the best decisions of my life.