"Both Rome and LUISS university were an opportunity, a challenge I wanted to win with myself". Born in Sanarica, a small town in the Lecce district, five years ago Annachiara Giannetta moved to Rome to study, thanks to a scholarship.
"I got to know LUISS in high school during an orientation day and I was impressed by two things: the international scope of the university and the link with the business world. I wanted to start a new experience, both a study than a life one, and so I decided to dream big!"
Today Annachiara is writing her thesis in Management and she studies at LUISS thanks to a Laziodisu scholarship, funded by Regione Lazio. However, she says that the real satisfaction was to get the scholarship for the Undergraduate Program: "In July 2010, after passing the admission test, I decided to apply also for the Fondazione Patroni Griffi full scholarship in partnership with LUISS, that offered coverage for a Bachelor's Degree in Economics or Management to a single student from Regione Puglia. I was really surprised I won both scholarships! It meant a lot to me: I felt even more motivated to achieve new goals."
Three years later, Annachiara graduated with honors in Economics and Management with a thesis in Accounting and Budget. Then, during the first year of the Master's Degree, she had the chance to join the Erasmus Program at ESCP Europe Business School in Paris, which was "a wonderful opportunity and another way to test myself both on an academic and on a human level."
"All these experiences – says Annachiara – enriched my education and gave me the opportunity to grow step by step. At the same time, I was encouraged to aim higher and higher, because with dedication and commitment you can achieve important goals. During my time at LUISS I noticed that the University cares for creating the right environment to study, work and spend time together: it is in one word what is called coopetition. I believe that today this approach is critical to understand the world we live and work in."
According to Annachiara, "universities should bet on merit and help the best students, as LUISS does with the 9000 Project: to those who want to win the scholarship, I'd recommend to always work hard, to not surrender and never give up, because in one way or another all the efforts will pay off ."
Annachiara is now ready to undertake her career path: "I'm 23 and I already had a lot of satisfactions. The last one is very recent: an internship at BNL - BNP Paribas, which I will start soon."