Coming from a small town in the Italian Alps, choosing to apply to St Patrick's Pontifical University was certainly not something common or expected. I had no ties whatsoever to Ireland; my new life there had to be built from scratch. All these experiences contributed to form me not only as a student, but mainly as a person. And it was this aspect, I believe, even more than any academic excellences, which made it possible for me to be accepted by Harvard Divinity School to attend a Masters in Theological Studies.