Alfredo Pearson

Alfredo Pearson is the name I gave myself. You might find it strange—most people change their first names, but why change my last name too? Let me tell you. If you've watched the Italian film Cinema Paradiso , you'll recall the famous line, "Life is different (not like in the movies), it's much harder," spoken by a character named Alfredo. In the film, Alfredo is an older man, a nobody, and the lifelong friend and mentor of the great film director Toto. Without Alfredo, Toto wouldn't have achieved his success in the film industry. When I moved to Italy in 2022, I realized that international friends often struggle to pronounce my Chinese name Heng, so I picked Alfredo as my new name. This choice pays homage to a film I love, which exactly is from Italy, and it also serves as a reminder to myself: rather than solely pursuing to be a successful person (somebody), I should strive to positively influence those (or the one) around me. If I can help others become bet...