INTERVIEW BY CARLY HOROWITZ

What started as just a Pia-family tradition of watching Game of Thrones turned into an Instagram fanpage with over 108K followers—created by Marist junior, Christopher Pia.

The family tradition began one day when Mr. Pia called in the family to the living room to watch a Game of Thrones Marathon.

“In my family, we all watch Game of Thrones together as kind of a family thing,” Chris said. “So we all used to quiz each other on who is this, who is that over there, whose House Stark, and stuff like that.”

“I kind of cheated though—I already read all of the books so I knew everything.” Chris caught wind that his brothers, sister, and parents were getting lightheartedly annoyed with his overwhelming knowledge on the show.

Chris’ brother, Grant, prompted him to start his own Game of Thrones Instagram page. “He said ‘I know other people who like this, but we don’t,’” Chris recalls. He obtained over 60K followers in only the first year of creation.

The Instagram page is called @asongoficeandfacts. It consists of posts containing cool facts that are not discussed in the TV show Game of Thrones. This helps fans who did not get a chance to read the Game of Thrones books still get a taste of what the books have to offer.

Even though Chris’s family may have gotten a little fed up with his Game of Thrones knowledge in the family competition setting, they still support him—especially his younger brother Logan, who is a freshman here at Marist.

Christopher Pia created a Game of Thrones fanpage that now has 109K followers. He has interned at AMC Networks for the past two summers. Chris leaves a lasting positive effect on most people he comes across. Chris plans on graduating in May 2019 and obtaining a job in the field of film, television, or entertainment.

“He is extremely outgoing and I’ve never met anyone who has had anything bad to say about him at Marist,” Logan said.

Logan recalls a fond memory he has with his brother on the day he moved into Marist. “If I’m being honest, I was scared to death about being here,” Logan said. “I was scared of not making friends, living on my own, and countless other cliche fears about being at college, and they all hit me on move in day.”

“He laughed at me when I told him all my fears,” Logan said. “He calmed me down in the best way possible and seemed really happy that I was here to share my college experience with him. It was the best thing I could have heard on that day.”

Additionally, Austin Thiele has known Chris for two years now. “Living with him during my sophomore year, he helped push me to be a better person by showing how his words were succeeded with action,” Austin said. “If you’re not progressing and taking risks, you won't be going anywhere—and these attributes led to his natural leadership characteristics.”

Chris attended two high schools before he embarked on his college experience at Marist. He studied in Connecticut until the end of his sophomore year. When his family moved to Manhattan, he finished his last two years of high school in New York City. “In my first high school, I wasn't the most academically inclined student,” Chris said. Chris explains that his parents have always wanted to live in New York City, and they decided to take advantage of the high school options that the city offered.

Christopher Pia's Childhood Image

“We all watch Game of Thrones together as a family. We used to quiz each other—I kind of cheated though. I already read all of the books, so I knew everything.”- Christopher Pia

Chris concluded his high school education at Xavier High School in New York City. “I went to an all boys Catholic school,” Chris said. “I learned from it. I actually learned how to organize my time and do work.”

These traits that Chris embodied throughout his years of growth have helped him to further achieve highly in academics. Chris has worked at AMC Networks the past two summers. His first internship was for BBCA and his second was for our Ad Sales Research team.

“It was fun,” Chris said. “I learned a lot. I was in the research department so I worked a lot with numbers. I learned what people are watching, when they are watching it, who is watching each channel.”

Thomas Ziangas, Senior Vice President of Research at AMC has gotten to know Chris very well in the time that he interned. “Chris is an impressive young man that goes beyond the norm, he did not know much about media research when he came for his first internship but was able to be a part of a team and excel,” he said. “He was one of our best interns in the last 8 years of this program.”

Ziangas goes on to detail Chris’ persona. “As bright as Chris is academically and how he easily picked up on a business he knew very little about, what stands out most is Chis’ character and personality,” said Ziangas.

Chris plans on graduating in May 2019. He hopes to get a job in the city and embark in a career in film, tv, or the entertainment industry.

Logan continues to expand on the nature of his brother, which has clearly infiltrated into various aspects of his life and all endeavors thus far. “Whenever I need anything, for example, groceries, I text him—and the only text I ever get is ‘On my way’.”

Reader Center: Have a question for our writers or team? Ask it here »