On November 6th, the Italian 4H had a special guest named Shana Coviello, who was born and raised in Bitonto, Italy, but currently lives in London, England. At 27 years old, Coviello works as a hotel concierge to help perfect her English.

The Italian class was delighted to test their knowledge by asking Coviello various questions in Italian, such as ti piace viaggiare ai paesi diversi?, which means, do you like traveling to other countries? As well as qual’è il tuo piatto italiano preferito?, or, what is your favorite Italian dish? Coviello often responded in Italian, also including some English to clarify whatever the Italian class did not understand. Coviello is currently on a break for vacation, or vacanza, but still was kind enough to visit the class. For an opportunity to speak Italian with someone other than Signora, Coviello was patient with the Italian students, and genuinely helped them to practice real-world Italian. Coviello was impressed with the high school, taking pictures all over the building, especially of the lockers.

They also compared differences between school systems in America and Italy. Discussing aspects like lunch, exams, and grades, Coviello shared insight into her high school experience and its differences from the Italian students’, rounding out an informative day with cultural comparisons.