Writing What's Real: Gianluca's Debut Book!

If you meet Gianluca, you’ll encounter a student who is all smiles, endlessly humble, and quick to shine the light on others. What you might not immediately see is that he has spent the past several months quietly working on something extraordinary: a project that began as a private journal and has now become a published book.

This month, Gianluca released Beneath the Mask, a deeply personal and accessible exploration of identity, emotional honesty, and the experience of “masking.” In mental health contexts, masking refers to the way people hide or downplay their internal struggles by presenting a polished or positive exterior. Gianluca became fascinated by this idea, and what started as reflection soon grew into research, conversations with family and mental health professionals, and eventually a full manuscript.

“I didn’t think it would be a book,” he said with a grin. “It really did just start as a journal.” But as the pages accumulated, so did his confidence. He kept writing, shaping his experiences into something that could help peers feel seen, understood, and access the courage it takes to let the world see the real version of themselves. 

Is there another book in his future? His smile widened. “I’m already over 30 pages in.”