Italian college students gathered at the Italian Cultural Institute on Park Avenue to honor Glauco Rampone, a mathematics and statistics student from the University of Bologna and the recipient of this year’s United for Progress Fellowship.
Rampone, originally from Benevento in southern Italy, was awarded the fellowship to attend the Italian Symposium at Columbia University. The four-day initiative, marking its first U.S. edition, was created by United Italian Societies to connect Italian students abroad with American and Italian leaders through educational panels and networking opportunities.
“Today, I represent all students who dream of opportunities like this,” Rampone said during the award ceremony. “Experiences like the Symposium are essential because they expose us to global leaders and help broaden our perspectives. When we return home, we bring that expanded vision back to our communities—especially in southern Italy, where access to international engagement is more limited.”
Rampone was celebrated by members of New York’s Italian community, including Italy’s Consul General in New York, Fabrizio Di Michele.
“We’re living through uncertain times, and it’s crucial not to lose the legacy of 80 years of transatlantic cooperation,” Di Michele said. “The Italian Symposium is a vital platform, one that invites new questions and offers tangible answers. I believe in the potential of young people to unite, contribute and lead. This initiative is proof of that.”
Also speaking at the event was Robert Allegrini, president of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), which represents more than 20 million Italian Americans and annually funds fellowships for U.S. students to study in Italy.
“We need to keep inspiring one another—Italy becoming a bit more American, and America a bit more Italian—to reach even greater heights,” Allegrini said. “It’s up to your generation to carry on our shared values and deepen the bonds between our countries.”
Giuliano Iannaccone, chair of the International and Retail Practices at the law firm Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, a sponsor of the Symposium, praised the young organizers behind the event.
“This fellowship helps carry forward the Italian legacy abroad,” Iannaccone said. “I was struck by the students’ professionalism, ideas, and their ability to juggle academic and private life while planning the event. This proves that Italian students aren’t just preparing for the future—they’re actively shaping the present.”
Angelika Maria Lattanzio and Tobias Luciano Benetton, co-organizers of the Italian Symposium, closed the event by outlining the program’s goals and rapid growth.
“We only launched in the U.S. in January, and within two months we were able to secure sponsors and speakers,” Lattanzio said. “Now we’re focused on expanding United for Progress—and this fellowship—in the years ahead to reach even more students.”
