There is a particular beauty in finding unity in shared values among people with different backgrounds and experiences. For me, it means recognising in others a willingness to contribute, a desire to grow and a readiness to take on a share of responsibility.
On the evening of 22 October, before the Conference, we met for dinner with friends from the Community. The photograph of us raising our glasses captures the pleasure of being together. That feeling of being at home had already begun around the table, and it is a memory I like to keep alongside the photographs of the following two days.
During the Conference, I also had the honour of reading, together with Silvia Cocciolillo, passages from documents held in Bocconi’s Historical Archives. Sharing this reading brought me closer to a history that, as an alumnus, I feel part of.
I give some of my time to the Community as a volunteer. In my role as Bocconi Alumni Italy Regional Lead, I support Italy’s Chapter Leaders and Topic Leaders and act as a link with the Alumni management team. This commitment asks me to listen to different needs, encourage dialogue and understand where collaboration could be useful.
It is also an opportunity for personal growth. Coordinating people who freely choose to take part requires attention to their motivations, the time they can offer and the particular character of the communities they look after. It is work from which I continue to learn.
At the Conference, I felt a sense of satisfaction in seeing the Community grow. For me, that growth matters when it goes hand in hand with people’s own development, when it allows them to share experiences and find the support to try doing something together.
Over these days, I also felt the desire to change the world. It is a large ambition, and one I share. Through my commitment, I try to give it a practical form: listening to those who bring a need, helping people with different experiences meet and supporting collaboration while respecting everyone’s autonomy.
These actions take time and continuity. Seeing other people choose to devote themselves to this gives me confidence and makes me feel part of a shared endeavour.
Above all, I take away this sense of belonging. It is one of the reasons I continue to give time to the Community: the opportunity to grow alongside others and contribute to something I believe in.