By Christine Kim
Salvatore Aversa will tell you that he wants his life to play out like an old, Italian mafia movie: a big, loud family with three sons. The oldest son will be named Costantino—after Aversa’s father and the others named Frankie and Vinnie. He wants to live in a house with a large front porch, Italian music playing in the background and deli meats on the kitchen table. Aversa says his girlfriend, Tennessee LePorte, is on board with this idea.
Aversa found his way to the University of Portland four years ago and will graduate with a major in communication studies and a minor in business administration in May. While at UP, he lived in Villa Maria Hall, the loud and rambunctious all-guys dorm on campus, and wrote for the sports section for the student media outlet, The Beacon, for two years.
“If you say ‘sports, family and Italy,’ to anyone who knows me, they’ll automatically think, ‘Yep, that’s Sal,’” he jokes.
Aversa is extremely proud of his Italian heritage. He grew up in Marin County, Calif. and was surrounded by his large Italian family, including his great aunts and uncles, and his third and fourth cousins. His family started La Ginastra, an Italian restaurant in Marin County, over 50 years ago and it is still run by his father and grandmother, Maria.
Aversa is very close with his family, especially his immediate family. He considers his parents, Tino and Marisa, and his twin sister, Gabby, his best friends.
Not only is his family extremely important to him, but sports are as well. He grew up playing sports his whole life, from tee-ball to basketball, soccer and tennis in high school, where he won three awards, including Most Valuable Player his senior year. Sports seem to be Aversa’s life. His dream job is to be the general manager of the San Francisco Giants or the Golden State Warriors.
After Aversa graduates, he plans on moving back home to California with his girlfriend, LePorte, to reunite with the most important things in his life: his family and Bay Area sports.
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