This year, Jesuit Dallas welcomes two new exchange students, Luigi Minella and Filippo Bariatti. Hailing from the famous Italian city of Milan, these two will spend the first semester at Jesuit studying, whilst they live with a host family to take them in. In order to examine the backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of these two young men, I conducted an interview with both.
Interview with Filippo Bariatti
Filippo, what part of Italy are you from?
I am from Milan, like Luigi.
How did you get to know about Jesuit and why did you decide to come over to the United States?
In Italy, we go to a Jesuit school in Milan called Istituto Leone XIII. They asked for the most academically talented in our school to be a part of the student exchange program, so in November 2021 we arrived in Dallas. I thought it was a fantastic experience and that’s why we decided to come back for the program.
When you first came to the U.S, what was that like?
It was really different from Italy because the European and US cultures are different. When I left Italy for 4 months, I was excited because it’s an Italian’s dream to be in the U.S, so I was really glad I had that experience.
Have you just been to Dallas or to other parts of the United States?
This summer I went with my family to Hawaii and California. I went to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara. Since I was coming to the US for school, my family wanted to go with me on the summer for holiday.
What was California like compared to Dallas?
There were a lot more people in California and less space. But in Dallas, there is a lot of space. In Milan, there are a lot of people and it’s crowded. So I prefer California because in Milan it’s similar to that. But I think Jesuit Dallas here is really nice because of the school hours and time we have.
Is your family here with you, or are you boarding with an American family?
I am here in America living with the Bruce family.
What are the similarities and differences between Jesuit Dallas and Jesuit School of Milan?
So first the similarities are that we both have churches, in Milan, we spend a lot of time there. The teachers really care about our experiences and our time at school. The differences are larger than the similarities, as in Italy we do 6 hours of school with only 25 minutes for a break, whereas in Jesuit we have 5 hours of school and an hour of break. We have much more free time here, but in Italy, we have less time. In Italy, the school focuses very heavily on the knowledge of a person, while here Jesuit Dallas focuses more on combining that with focusing on relations between students and teachers.
Interview with Luigi Minella
Luigi, you also come from Milan right?
I also come from Milan. Like Filippo, I come from the same school, the Istituto Leone XIII, which is a Jesuit school in Milan.
When in Milan, what was your first experience with the student exchange program?Â
There are some articles in my school’s newspaper on the student exchange program. I read an article and learned about it. I thought “oh, that’s great maybe I can try.” So I applied, and I got in. The rules of the program are that I study in Dallas, and in November 2021 I came to the U.S for the first time. I was prepared to take a semester abroad. Leonne [the Jesuit school in Milan] is offering more opportunities to come back to Jesuit, so this year I thought “why not try again?” and I got in again.
You mentioned your school newspaper, and are there other extracurricular activities at Jesuit Milan?
We do have some teams, but they are much less competitive than the Jesuit teams. And they aren’t tied to the school, people from other schools can also join. In Italy, practices are in the morning and afternoon.
In Italy, what would you say is the most popular extracurricular activity?
I would say the most popular sport or extracurricular activity is soccer. It’s always been soccer.
What was the biggest difference that you noticed between the U.S and Italy?
It’s the geography because here it’s very different. In Italy, living in the suburbs is very different than in the US, as the houses in the US are much bigger. And also the houses in Italy are much smaller. My apartment is much smaller than the house I am staying in right now. Another thing: you all drive at 16, for us Italians its very strange to see. Italian children can start driving bikes and scooters at 14, but they can only seriously drive at 18. But many do not need to drive, because the distances are not as large in Italy. For example, many of my friends in Italy do not need a bike, they go to school on foot.
Were you one of those people who went to school by walking?
Yes, I do that, I live 800 meters away from my school. It’s very convenient. I also know people who live 100 meters from school!
Before you came to the US, did you have any knowledge of speaking English?
I started speaking English when I was 6. In Italy, English is required for elementary schools. Next year, I’ll take my last English exam. I do very well in my class in Italy and I hope that I am able to do the same here.
What’s the hardest part about learning English?
The hardest part is probably trying to understand the accents, like a Texan accent. That’s probably the hardest part so far.
Conclusion
As our Jesuit brothers from Milan join us in the classrooms, hallways, and athletic fields, let’s make sure we make them feel welcome. When I met Luigi and Filippo, I was impressed by their kindness and willingness to help others in a country they are not familiar with. They prove that Jesuit education, no matter where in the world, has a similar effect on all students. The Jesuit school in Milan, Istituto Leone XIII, has taught Luigi and Filippo to be intelligent, caring for others, and religious, just as Jesuit Dallas teaches us these values. If you see Luigi or Filippo in the hallways of Jesuit, make sure to give them a warm welcome!
