Why I Write: Vic Aquino

What are some interesting notes about your personal life that you care to share?

I’ve had several lives, which isn’t that interesting, but goes to show anyone can adapt, improve or reinvent themselves for the right purpose or reasons.

I was a sports-head and musician through school. From football and track to baseball and soccer, I was fairly decent all the way through high school. It was fun and being around several athletes who became bonafide D1 performers was a great wake-up call to put things in perspective early on. From there through college, I got into a couple cool little bands and had a few more years of fun with some best friends.

After graduating from San Jose State in 1991, I got into corporate life for the next 30 years, because we were supposed to, right? I learned to get out of introvert mode and enjoyed a range of positions from tech support to a business and web development type to a creative.

It was all great, tough, challenging and rewarding until I found out things could also be fulfilling.

Why do you like writing?

Through these different lives, writing was a fluid secondary skill to the primary jobs. Looking back at my professional experiences, it is indeed a valuable skill I leverage today.

Before I married my wife, she used to type my college papers (on a type writer) and she always told me she loved the way I wrote – that’s when I first took notice, because I was always trying to impress her (still am).

This skill also opened up other great opportunities and connections that support social good, activism and sports, of course. It’s been a good way to be connected to my alma mater too:

• A chance to be a presenter for SJSU’s Sammy Awards on NBC Sports Bay Area was a great experience
• An article in memory of the late, great sports information director, Lawrence Fan brought unexpected joy and sharing of memories among a larger group of great people

In the various freelancing I do now, writing is fun and meaningful, plus you get to tell a story in your own way, where I think my way is of empathy, insight and foresight.

Why do you follow college sports?

College sports was first etched in my psyche as a kid from the 1970s and 80s when Spartan football was in its last heydays. The local media then supported them well, as did the local community. It all became a core memory for me.

The reason I like to follow it now is what it’s still supposed to represent: the spirit and organicness of amateur sports. Think of a great high school game and that immediate, close knit community. Even through all the business of it, college sports has that vibe but on a bigger scale.

What led to writing for MWCConnection?

When I decided I wanted to cover SJSU football was by chance the same time Brent Brennan started in 2017. I tried to connect with the previous MWC editor before Mike Wittman and never got a response, so I just wrote on their Fanpost area. Plus, I liked the way the MWC site looked. I eventually connected with Mike and it was kind of easy from there, since SJSU was seen and treated as an outcast, more so then.

What do you like about writing for MWCConnection?

Mike is a great editor and boss. He even convinced me that Twitter is fun, so I got on back in 2018. It is, but I’m still getting used to it.

We can also write what we want and how we want. That freedom is gold to me and it unexpectedly led to a re-discovery and great relationships at San Jose State.

Lastly, at my stage in life, it is about having fun too and just being better at giving back than chasing a career. So, being here is like another arrow in the quiver.