Johnston students preparing for historic trip to Italy

Four Johnston High School students, Allison Vessella, Sara Echeverria, Miguel Azanon and Mark Cruz, are about to become international ambassadors during a unique and historic two-week journey to Italy. They’ll represent the town, as well as the Pannese Society of Rhode Island, during a pilot program that’s the first-ever Student Cultural Exchange in Johnston’s Sister City Agreement with Panni Foggia, Italy.

It’s also the first such step in the unique Sister City program that Renato Mansolillo, who’ll serve as host and coordinator during the Johnston delegation’s stay in Panni Foggia, has plans to expand and reportedly take to unmatched international proportions.

“Our kids are going to be treated like royalty in Italy,” Lou Mansolillo, a Johnston resident who is the Executive Coordinator of the Sister City Student Cultural Exchange Program, offered. “This is a big, big thing for the people in Panni; they’ve planned all sorts of celebrations and events for this visit.”

Mansolillo, who serves as Legislative Clerk in the R.I. House of Representatives and Assistant to Speak Prom Temp Brian Kennedy and Corporations Chairman Robert Jacquard, said he and the four JHS students will leave Tuesday and return home on April 25. He and the school principal in Panni Foggia will supervise the scholastic and cultural activities during the visit.

He and the four students, as well as JHS Italian Teacher Emilia Ruggiero, who helped in selecting the four students, got their first taste of the excitement that’s building in Panni Foggia, Italy, last Friday morning during a Skype network chat produced by Cathy Chiuli, the school librarian.

Words like “Ciao” (hello and goodbye) and “Grazie” (thank you) were commonplace during the unique international hook-up that was produced on a small, yet surprisingly clear computer screen inside the JHS library.

Ruggiero, Mansolillo and even Bernie DiLullo, Johnston’s Superintendent of Schools, exchanged pleasantries in Italian and English with Renato Mansolillo during the Skype that added to the excitement of the Johnston student’s upcoming visit to Italy.

The first-ever Student Cultural Exchange is being partly funded by the Pannese Society of Rhode Island that has future plans to include tourism and trade as well as a similar program that will afford Panni Foggia, Italy students to visit Johnston in the fall, reportedly during the height of Johnston High’s annual Homecoming Week celebration.

Just this week, in fact, Pannese Society President Joseph Spremulli presented a $5,000 check to JHS Principal Dennis Morrell that will help fund the international trip.

Upon their arrival in Italy, the JHS students will be greeted by the Mayor and other dignitaries who have reportedly planned what Lou Mansolillo called “a huge welcome reception” that he noted will include the school band.

“Since it will be their Easter holiday there, we will be staying in Panni at the La Locanda di Pan,” Mansolillo offered. “That is comparable to our bed and breakfast places here.”

While they’re in Italy, the Johnston students will experience a variety of Italian cultures and take part in classes at Liceo Classico Lanza and Liceo Artistico Perugini, two top-tier schools where excitement is also building because the JHS kids have already made contact with Italian students as well as their family members whom they’ll stay with during the historic trek.

The JHS students and Mansolillo will also be touring the surrounding territories and visit some of the cultural entities that they are known for such as the making of cheeses, prosciutto and liquors. Other excursions will include a visit to the vacation seaside area of Gargano that Mansolillo noted is comparable to the beaches in Newport and South County. They’ll also visit San Gioivanni Rotondo, home of St. Padre Pio, the Grotta di Castellana and Troia.

When asked if the students had to be Italian to be considered for the tour, he explained, “No, not in the least. They were all selected because of their academic excellence.”

Ruggiero, meanwhile, explained, “Students taking Italian 4 Honors and Italian 3 Honors were asked to participate,” Ruggiero explained. “Mark Cruz [Italian 4 H], Miguel Azanon [Italian 3 H] and Allison Vessella [Italian 3 H] accepted and a fourth student, Sara Echeverria, who was asked because she is in the 11th grade and an excellent language student. We thought this exchange would work well with older students and those who excelled in the study of the Italian language.”

So next Tuesday morning, the Johnston delegation will board a motor coach at the Bonanza Bus Terminal that will take them to Logan Airport in Boston for their 5:15 flight aboard Lufthansa Airlines. They’ll fly to Frankfurt, Germany, then onto Naples, Italy where they be shuttling to Johnston’s Sister City in Panni Foggia.

They’ll take “the surprise and honor of being selected” for the student cultural exchange with them as well as spending money, cameras, essentials, small notebooks for a diary and gifts for their respective host families with them.

While all four JHS students said they’ve flown to such places as Florida, the Philippines and Guatemala, they’ve never been to Italy. They’ve also studied – and in some cases done research – about Italy and learned more about what a beautiful place Italy is during their classes with Ruggiero.

When asked about their favorite Italian foods, the students’ answers varied.

Vessella, 16, is a junior who is very excited about her selection and the trip, said, “Pasta and pizza!”

Cruz, 17, and the lone senior taking the trip, likes lasagna. For Echeverria, 17, who is also a junior, she said gnocchi.

As for Azanon, 17, and also a junior, replied, “I don’t really have a favorite because each dish is unique.”

Just like the historic trip when they assume the roles of “International Ambassadors” under the banners of the Town of Johnston, State of Rhode Island and Pannese Society, which has its sights set on future history-making events here and in Italy.