Thanks to a donation by the Italian Australian Foundation, Monash students of Italian descent can apply for a $4000 travel grant to study in Prato (or another destination in Italy) to gain valuable international experience and enrich your understanding of your Italian cultural heritage.
According to Australian immigration law, I am third generation Italian on my Mum’s side of the family.
My grandparents both originated from Ostiglia, Mantova, in the province of Lombardia. My Nonno arrived in Australia in 1931 and my Nonna arrived 18 months later with my Uncle Francesco. My Nonno had been encouraged by his uncle to migrate to Australia due to the extensive work opportunities available in the farming industry at the time. Nonno worked on various farms around Texas, Queensland, until he was able to buy his own farm in Tenterfield, Queensland, in 1953. My Mum grew up on this very property before she later moved to Sydney and then to Melbourne with my Dad in 1992.
The grant enabled me to travel to Italy and to other parts of Europe to complete my bachelor degree and diploma in languages earlier than was scheduled within the Australian university school year. This not only cut off six months of my degree but it also allowed me to travel overseas to study and to meet my extended Italian family, which would otherwise not have been possible.
During one of my weekends I was fortunate enough to be able to meet and visit my extended family that, to this day, still live in Ostiglia. They showed me around Ostiglia and Mantova and even took me to visit Verona for the Saint Valentine's Day Festival. It was a truly overwhelming and wonderful experience to finally meet my extended Italian family.
Arianna Brown
For further information about the Italian Australian Foundation Travel Grant, including full selection and eligibility criteria, see the Scholarships website.
