A dream almost forgotten long ago is finally becoming a reality for Domenic Mauro (University of Toronto, ’00), thanks to his unwavering spirit.
For as long as Mauro can remember, service and military have played a hand in shaping who he is today. Some of his earliest memories include hearing about his father’s service in the Italian military as a pilot. Mauro became inspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and lead a life of service the best way he knew how.
“When I hear the word ‘service’, I think about serving my fellow man and doing what I can to make a positive difference in somebody’s life, whether that be a Lambda Chi Brother, whether it be helping an old lady across the street, whatever the case is, making a positive difference at that particular moment in time can change someone’s life forever,” said Mauro.
Mauro began to build his life around the idea of joining the military to make a positive difference. His plan consisted of attending the Royal Military College, continue playing football and eventually work his way into a career as an aerospace engineer and a pilot like his father before him.
But, as the saying goes, life happened.
War in the Middle East broke out while Mauro was still in high school, and Mauro’s father, who placed the love for his son above anything put a hard stop to his military pursuits. The idea and passion never quite left Mauro, though.
Now in his 40s, Mauro is not only giving back to his chapter by serving as the High Pi for almost 14 years, but also trying to fulfill his dream by starting the process of serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.
During the process, Mauro will put his mind and body to the test through a required aptitude test, fitness test, background check and various interviews. While the thought of training can be daunting at times, Mauro is ecstatic to be keeping the promise he made to himself over three decades ago.
Once Mauro completes the six-step application process, he will receive word if he is accepted into the Canadian Armed Forces.
Through his journey, Mauro has received constant support from those around him, including the members of the Epsilon-Epsilon chapter at Toronto. For Mauro, if he can encourage just one member to lead a life of service and never give up on their goals, he has made a positive impact on the world around him and that of the member.
“I think service is something that has always been engrained in me and something I grew up with…Lambda Chi has enhanced this when I was an undergraduate and now has taken it to the next level in serving as High Pi,” said Mauro. “If I can show someone to never give up on their dreams and that it’s never too late, then I’ve made that positive difference.”
