600 Chickens

When sophomore Troy Puccio wakes up in the morning, the first thing he says is on his mind is whether he wants to hit the snooze button or not, and go back to sleep for another ten minutes. After he wakes up, he brushes his teeth and then puts on his hat. This may seem a bit normal, but really, there is more to him than this simple morning routine.

Troy Puccio was born in 2004 in New Jersey. He lived there until he was in sixth grade when he briefly moved to Connecticut, moving back to Virginia this year. According to his friend, sophomore James Croll, there were not any issues adjusting to the new location. “He lived in Connecticut before, and then he moved to a new school. He got used to it pretty fast.” 

Ironically, many people have assumed that Puccio has stayed in the area his entire life. “I moved to Connecticut, and then I moved back. Whenever I talk to people they just assume that I’ve been in the area,” explained Puccio.

So what does Puccio do now? He lives on a farm on Evergreen Mills Road in Loudoun County. His family makes a living out of selling chickens there. “If you go out the back entrance, we have 600 chickens that we sell and 50 ducks. That’s pretty much my family life,” said Puccio. He said that in the future, he saw himself owning a farm, just like his family. “I probably want to own a farm in Texas maybe — I know that’s very southern and atypical of a country boy,” he said with a laugh. He also said that he had big plans for the future. “After high school, I want to go to the military and become a veterinarian for the military,” he said.

Puccio has also worked with art and makeup at Shocktober, a haunted house in Leesburg. “He does a lot of stuff with special effects, and things with art, which is impressive,” said Croll. “You wouldn’t expect that coming from him, but it’s like a whole secret identity that he has.” Sophomore Charlize Torchiani, another friend of Puccio, also complimented his work. “His special effects makeup is great,” she said. 

Puccio has an idea for the legacy he wants to leave behind.  “I hope people remember me for always being positive, and for being positive towards others. And for being nice and supporting them, even if it’s something I don’t agree with. I want to be remembered as someone who helped people as much as I can.”