Passion, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Happiness   

By Aliasher Aminov

GIO, short for Go Inspire Others, is the personal brand/motto of this Reading native who, at the age of 23, is an Amazon International Best Seller, motivational speaker, and graduate student looking to make a difference in the lives of people around him.  

Giovanni Negron-Garcia was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, and he describes his upbringing as challenging. 

Having been born into a poor family, Giovanni said that he often struggled to find his way during the early years of his youth. “I was doubted at a very young age. Not a lot of people had very high hopes for me in my work because I was disorganized … and being deaf in my right ear really set me back in the classroom. ” 

Giovanni said he constantly found himself questioning the things around him. Whether it was coursework in school that he couldn’t wrap his mind around, coming home to a crying mom who would tell him everything was ok, or his dad telling him to work hard even though he himself lost his job during the 2008 recession, Giovanni could not always find the answers he was looking for.  

The question always came back to him: Why do bad things happen to good people?  

Giovanni also struggled with his weight while growing up and, as a result, was often bullied for his appearance. He didn’t understand why people he was always there for rarely seemed to be there for him when he needed them most.  

During high school, Giovanni said he felt lost. He began struggling with depression, and he did not know what his route in life was going to be. He always wanted to be a light and joy for others around him but was personally lost in his journey.  

Things began to change for Giovanni when in 2017, he was offered a full scholarship and made the decision to go to Kutztown University. From there, he started his graduate studies at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he is currently studying student affairs and higher education. 

While still pursuing his master’s degree, 2021 proved to be a pivotal time in Giovanni’s life. In just one year, Giovanni began the process of losing weight and was successful in losing over 200 pounds. During this time, he began to write his first book, “Passion, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  

Giovanni said that his book is meant to help people find who they are (their passion, purpose, and happiness). While he uses stories from his own life to show the steps he has taken to achieve these things, he said the purpose of the book isn’t just for him to talk about his life.  

Giovanni said that he was inspired to write a book in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, he noticed that many people began trying to reignite their passions and pursue things they were interested in but found that many people around him stopped before they had the opportunity to really achieve their goals.  

“I like to call my book a match. It is the match that helps you reignite the fire within,” he said.  

According to Giovanni, he wants people to be able to find themselves and live a better life.  

He said that one of the most valuable lessons he has learned through the writing process is that the most important thing is to start and force yourself to keep up with it. Giovanni said that people often say they don’t know where to start or what to say, but he said that once you start writing, you will figure out what you want to convey.  

While he could never have known it at the time, Giovanni’s book became an instant success once published in February of this year, with over 200 copies sold within the first three days of its publication. 

Since its initial release on Amazon, “Passion, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Happiness” has become an international best-selling book, and Giovanni has won awards for his written work.  

“It has just been such a crazy ride as of late, and I am so grateful,” Giovanni said in describing the success he has found as an author.  

Today, Giovanni said  he is primarily focused on “trying to close the educational gap and create access for low-income underprivileged students who are trying to go to school.” 

He uses his own experience finding ideal scholarships to help students find school funding that is specifically available for people with their personalities, interests, or characteristics (for example, he himself was able to get a specific scholarship because of his deafness in his right ear). 

His mission is to help students find a way to either graduate college with no debt or with as little debt as possible. “I just know that the finances are out there. There are so many scholarships that people don’t take advantage of,” he said.  

In addition to his work with students one-on-one, Giovanni works as a motivational speaker visiting various high schools and colleges to talk about his experience and share his advice on affording college.  

Giovanni hopes that with time he will be able to expand the work he is doing with students. He said that while he plans to grow his work with time, and once he gets his master’s degree, he plans to return to Reading and begin working with people in the local area. 

 He believes that the opportunities available are endless, and people often just don’t know what’s out there for them.  wants to connect people with their opportunities and help them find the confidence they need to succeed.  

Looking to the future, Giovanni hopes to write another book, or two, or three; he plans to continue growing in life and sharing what he learns along the way. He hopes to give people the tools they need to live the life they have always wanted to have.