Romeo Romei

Nationality: Italian

Years at Bangkok Patana School: I started in Infant 1 White in 1984, and left the school as part of the first ever graduatingclass in 1997-13 wonderful years that I constantly wish I could go back and re-live again!

What are your favourite memoriesof school?

In 13 years, there are many indelible memories that come to mind, but if I have to choose, I would probably say being cast as Danny Zuko in the production of Grease. It was an entire school production involving more than 300 children, such great fun! Another memory would be moving into the new campus, which was so exciting! In fact, moving away from the old school site was just as thrilling, because we knew that the buildings were going to be torn down to make space for a skyscraper, so we were allowed to literally demolish our own classrooms – how many children have had the chance to do that? It was so entertaining to be told to destroy things for once, and surprisingly, it never got out of control; both teachers and students joined in to smash up the past!

How was it being the first graduating class of Bangkok Patana School?

It was a true honour to be the very first class. Back then, we were only 22 pupils completing the IB diploma. I was the only one who did a fully Bi-lingual IB examination in English and Italian so it was very exciting and also very scary, because no one had any previous experience of what was to come. #ere was a lot of stress and some trial and error involved, but we all came through nicely, and the great effort put in by our teachers was never in vain. Today, I can appreciate even more how much they helped to shape us for what life had to o$er. We have been called the guinea pigs of Bangkok Patana, but I prefer the word PIONEERS.

What have you been doing since leaving Bangkok Patana?

I went straight to Italy for university in Pisa. Initially, nearing the end of school, I had a strong urge to leave Thailand. Growing up here, I had been in Thailand forever and I felt somewhat trapped in a bubble. We were learning based on curriculums created in Europe which seemed so far away. The reality surrounding us locally was mostly, quite different; I felt I needed to explore my roots by going back to Italy and travel in Europe to witness first hand all the things I had learnt. Well, not long after that, I was already wishing I was back in this amazing country that is Thailand. I am 100% Italian, but once I was there, I had a strong calling to move back and work in the country where I had grown up and to which I felt I could contribute a lot to, so that’s what happened (hopefully the contributing part too). Europe is lovely for visiting family and for holidays but #ailand is my home and where my future is.

Is there anything that you learnt/ experienced whilst at Bangkok Patana that you still utilise today?

There are multiple things that I learnt at school that I still use today. One that pops to mind would have to be the use of the written English language. We would write and explore so much that still today I find myself using similar thought patterns learnt back in my schools days. Another aspect would be the ability to understand people from di$erent nationalities more accurately; at Patana we would be in classes of students from multiple parts of the world and that experience is simply massive. Not to mention the various lovely teachers met along the way, who portrayed their subjects with such passion that it was almost impossible to leave without having learnt or gained from each lesson. The in-depth analysis on many levels, regarding both social life and text books, allowed us all to grow tremendously, and I am certain I would never have had this sort of experience back in Italy, had my family not moved out here and chosen Bangkok Patana School.

Your children now go to BangkokPatana – why did you choose to send them here?

There was never any doubt in my mind that I would want my children to have the same experience that I did. We always wish for something better for our kids, right? Well, I didn’t have to look very far, I knew exactly where to find it. Bangkok Patana has grown and developed into something even more beautiful than when I was here, that each time I visit, I wish I could go back in time and be a student all over again! I’m sure all alumni feel the same way as me. To be honest, for my family, this decision did have a lot of thought because we live very far from the school, past Don Muang airport and there are other schools closer by. My wife Nicoletta and I, did visit a few of them but that only had the e$ect of reinforcing our belief that nothing could beat PATANA, and it’s so true.

Do you have any advice to Senior students currently trying to decide which university or career is right for them?

It’s diffcult to give general advice because we are all different. Some people have talents and clear paths that they’d like to follow whilst others are still making up their mind. In my case, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life, all I knew was I want to chase down my roots and try to learn about my home country. It took me a while before I realised what I could excel at and engage with it. I can only assure you that after studying in Bangkok Patana School, I’m confident all our senior students are ready for whatever university or career they wish to pursue.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I enjoy spending time with my wife Nicoletta and three children, Flavio, Giorgia and Paola. Other than that, I like staying active. Golf is one of my biggest passions, in fact, I think Bangkok Patana could further develop the Golf programme as this is a lovely country to learn the game. I’m sure there would be many children interested if we introduced this sport on a somewhat serious level from an early age. Tere are many courses around the school and if golf is taught at a young age, it’s a passion that will last a lifetime.