Our Excellent Language Partners!

Written by Janet Lawrence, Resident Director.

Riccardo Fichera comes from Catania and he studies Political Science. He lives right in the historic center of Catania and is really proud of his city. He loves meeting new people and learning about new cultures, so he wanted to get involved as a CET Language Partner. He was a great teammate for Charades-he knew all of the Sicilian authors that no one else could get! Giuseppe Verga anyone?

Jole Fontana, (pictured here with Julie Hooper, right) a native of Catania, studies Political Science. She loves speaking Spanish, English, and Czech. Last year, she won a scholarship to study in Prague and loved getting to know Czech students. Now, she hopes to welcome the CET students to her hometown and show them what a wonderful place it is. She and the group – and the rest of the population of Catania – turned out to see the fabulous fireworks display in the main square to celebrate la Festa di Sant’Agata!

Gianluca Scerri hails from Catania and studies International Relations. He has loved Americans ever since he studied at Rider College in New Jersey. Gianluca enjoys political films – and he sure sees a lot of them, because when he’s not studying, he works in a movie theatre just outside of Catania. Gianluca likes to wax poetic – in Italian and in English - and he’s a thinker. When asked to describe himself, he said “But how can one ever describe himself. You’ll have to give me a couple of days.” Enough said! We love you, Gianluca!

Chiara Pane studies Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations too! She loves going to the beach and playing water sports – she is pretty fierce in water polo and an accomplished scuba diver. She is fascinated by North Africa and loves to travel. Her favorite musicians are Ligabue and the famous singer-songwriter from Chiara’s own hometown, Carmen Consoli.

Ornella Urso studies at the University of Catania and is an alum of the Scuola Superiore di Catania. She is interested in global politics. She’s fascinated by the Middle East and hopes to travel there soon. Her favorite film is the Nuovo Cinema Paradiso.





Pamela Valastro is a part of the Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations faculty at the University of Catania. She loves to sing and travel. Most recently she went to Tunisia, where she loved tasting the exotic foods in the markets.