Clara della Valle, a LUISS graduate in International Relations, already knows what she is going to do next year: she will be a student at the prestigious College of Europe in Bruges. She is one of the winners of the LUISS scholarship for post-graduate programs abroad and she describes her experience as follows: "The news that I had won one of the LUISS scholarships was a sign: I had to take advantage of this opportunity. It will definitely be tough, but I’m very motivated."
Clara studied at LUISS after facing the usual questions about choosing a university: "Political Science seemed like the right way to continue the wonderful "everything yet nothing" of the Classical Secondary School: a heterogeneous, open course of study, full of ideas that would help me understand what I really wanted to do ‘when I grow up.’ Once I had decided on Political Science, I researched the best universities in Italy, and ended up opting for LUISS."
There are so many things she learned during her university years and she has so many memories: "From a human perspective, LUISS allowed me to create a “Roman family” more quickly and easily than I could have in a larger university. From an educational point of view, it incentivized me to always do my best and meet my deadlines. Specifically, the three-year degree fascinated me and really enriched me academically."
Having achieved her goal of earning a master’s degree, Professor Francesco Cherubini and Professor Francesca Maria Corrao, her supervisor and co-supervisor, respectively, helped her figure out what path to take.
In the end, Clara decided to pursue two dreams: to attend the College of Europe and then, in 2015, begin a doctorate at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa. "Continuing to study abroad was not a choice, but the result of a combination of events, projects and desires that fortunately have been realized. I can now say that I welcome the year in Bruges as a valuable opportunity for professional and personal growth. That said, I hope to be able to fulfill my potential in my own country which, despite its flaws, I love with all my heart."
With her suitcase for Bruges already packed, by now Clara’s friends are used to seeing her leave: "I come from Santa Maria Capua Vetere, in the province of Caserta. I’ve lived in Rome for seven years now, and during that time I did my Erasmus in Aix-en-Provence and worked for a year between Arezzo and Trento. As with all of the choices I’ve made in my life, my family supported me from the beginning, and I’m sure they will continue to do so. When I’m in Bruges, they will be with me in spirit, along with my closest friends."