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Newly transferred Sierra Nevada College students Sebastiano Amato Savini and Ilaria Salvati browse through merchandise at the SNC store in the Prim Library. Savini and Salvati plan to attend SNC after their university in L'Aquila, Italy was destroyed by an 6.3 magnitude earthquake April 5.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — When L'Aquila, Italy, shook down in early April, Sebastiano Savini and Ilaria Salvati had a choice.
Stay at the broken-down Universita' Degli Studi Dell' Aquila (The University of L'Aquila), where only a few buildings stood after the devastating 6.3 magnitude April 5 earthquake, or take up the National Italian American Foundation's offer to attend school in America.
Both chose the latter, and they ended up with a 24-student contingent from L'Aquila that arrived Monday in Reno to attend school at Sierra Nevada College.
“We're just blessed to be here,” Savini said. “We're so, so grateful to the NIAF and SNC and for all of the people who raised funds to bring us here. It's all we could have ever asked.”
Salvati said she's been overwhelmed with the support since arriving in America.
“All the people we met have been so kind to us,” Salvati said. “I feel so loved here, everyone tells us to ask them for whatever we need. I feel just like home.”
Both Salvati and Savini were on the central Italy campus in the early morning of April 5 — 3:32 a.m., Savini recalls — when the quake hit L'Aquila.
“We were used to weak earthquakes — nothing strong like that one,” Salvati said. “My roommate told me to hide under the desk when it hit.”
Early this summer, the NIAF organized a fundraiser to provide American scholarships to the students, and Savini, president of the international student organization at L'Aquila, began to notify other students, including Salvati.
“We had other choices, but I looked at the classes and considered the environment here, the beautiful lake and mountains; I got very interested in SNC,” Savini said.
Salvati said seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time was a treat.
“It's amazing. It seems incredible to have this lake so close to us,” Salvati said.
Savini plans on spending a semester at SNC before heading back to L'Aquila to graduate and resume his responsibilities at the college. Salvati said she plans to stay for the full year — without heading home at the semester break — to soak up living in the states.
“I think my family is sad because I'll be here for a year,” Salvati said. “But they understand and they are happy for me, I really want to live here and experience everything there is to experience. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Savini said his family is concerned — but after a year abroad in Paris in 2007, he said he's ready for the experience.
“They are concerned, but I can contact them by phone when I need to,” Savini said.
Savini will study languages while at SNC, with Salvati studying global management.
Both said they've registered for their classes, and expect a slight change from Italian University to classes at SNC.
“In Italy students are more ordered, it's more of an individual experience,” Salvati said. “Here I feel like it is more of a group setting.”
The changes from L'Aquila to Incline are going to be a bit different. L'Aquila rests in a mountain valley — no snow in town — and Savini said he's a weekend skier, while Salvati said she's excited to learn the sport this year.
Stay at the broken-down Universita' Degli Studi Dell' Aquila (The University of L'Aquila), where only a few buildings stood after the devastating 6.3 magnitude April 5 earthquake, or take up the National Italian American Foundation's offer to attend school in America.
Both chose the latter, and they ended up with a 24-student contingent from L'Aquila that arrived Monday in Reno to attend school at Sierra Nevada College.
“We're just blessed to be here,” Savini said. “We're so, so grateful to the NIAF and SNC and for all of the people who raised funds to bring us here. It's all we could have ever asked.”
Salvati said she's been overwhelmed with the support since arriving in America.
“All the people we met have been so kind to us,” Salvati said. “I feel so loved here, everyone tells us to ask them for whatever we need. I feel just like home.”
Both Salvati and Savini were on the central Italy campus in the early morning of April 5 — 3:32 a.m., Savini recalls — when the quake hit L'Aquila.
“We were used to weak earthquakes — nothing strong like that one,” Salvati said. “My roommate told me to hide under the desk when it hit.”
Early this summer, the NIAF organized a fundraiser to provide American scholarships to the students, and Savini, president of the international student organization at L'Aquila, began to notify other students, including Salvati.
“We had other choices, but I looked at the classes and considered the environment here, the beautiful lake and mountains; I got very interested in SNC,” Savini said.
Salvati said seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time was a treat.
“It's amazing. It seems incredible to have this lake so close to us,” Salvati said.
Savini plans on spending a semester at SNC before heading back to L'Aquila to graduate and resume his responsibilities at the college. Salvati said she plans to stay for the full year — without heading home at the semester break — to soak up living in the states.
“I think my family is sad because I'll be here for a year,” Salvati said. “But they understand and they are happy for me, I really want to live here and experience everything there is to experience. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Savini said his family is concerned — but after a year abroad in Paris in 2007, he said he's ready for the experience.
“They are concerned, but I can contact them by phone when I need to,” Savini said.
Savini will study languages while at SNC, with Salvati studying global management.
Both said they've registered for their classes, and expect a slight change from Italian University to classes at SNC.
“In Italy students are more ordered, it's more of an individual experience,” Salvati said. “Here I feel like it is more of a group setting.”
The changes from L'Aquila to Incline are going to be a bit different. L'Aquila rests in a mountain valley — no snow in town — and Savini said he's a weekend skier, while Salvati said she's excited to learn the sport this year.
A little about L'Aquila and SNC's visitors
L'Aquila — Pronounced (la-kwee-la); coincidentally, L'Aquila means “The Eagle.” SNC's mascot? The Eagles.9 — The time difference between Incline and L'Aquila is nine hours.
Welcoming the students to Incline — If you come across one of the L'Aquila students, you can greet them with a simple “Ciao” or a “Benvenuto a Incline Village.”
