Board 2023

Born in Palermo on March 20th, 1993 but residing in Agrigento, Gerlando describes himself as an ambitious person who loves challenges. He likes everything that can help him improve daily and is eager to accept any challenge, even the impossible ones. He studied law in Siena, the city where he started his ESN career. He is indeed a member of ESN Siena GES since September 3rd, 2016, and he was President of this Section for 3 years - from 2018 to 2020. Being close to Erasmus students and multiculturality led him to travel a lot throughout the years, exploring different European countries and getting to know new cultures. From 2020 to 2022 he performed the role of Partnership Manager of ESN Italy and became its President in December 2021, then finished his first mandate and began the second in December 2022. Currently, he is also a member of the Italian Youth Council (Consiglio Nazionale Giovani), for which he carries out work on European policies.

From Modena with strong Roman roots, born on a sunny Friday in May 1999, Gaia loves the sea, music, good food, and people. Passionate about communication in all its shapes, she is finishing her studies in Communication Science at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and works for a cultural association which develops international exchange programmes for students of all ages. She has always loved travelling and cultures and has visited 20 countries and over 50 cities. Thanks to international mobility programmes, she has lived in the US for a year, and in Valencia, Spain, for a semester.

This passion brought her into the ESN world. She took her first steps in the local Section of Modena in the autumn of 2019, where she held the Board positions of Secretary, Communication Manager, and then President. At the national level, she was the Sub-Coordinator of the Committee for International Affairs, was part of ESN Italy’s Liaison Office and member of the Italian Pool of Trainers, and is currently the national Vice President.

He was born in Belluno, between mountains and goats, in March 1997. After graduating from high school, he left for Spain thanks to a 3-month traineeship project. While working there as a receptionist in a hotel in Seville, he discovered ESN and the Erasmus life and came back convinced to enrol and start university – no matter which faculty, his only aim was to go on Erasmus.

In October 2018 he started his academic career at the Economics faculty of the University of Padua, and in October 2019 he got close to ESN, still with the aim to go on Erasmus in the future.

At last, in September 2020, between a lockdown and another, he left for the long-awaited experience in Lisbon and came back willing to get more involved. He applied for local President of his Section, ESN Padova, in 2021 and after just one mandate he decided to take the big step and apply for national Treasurer.

Meanwhile, he completed his Bachelor’s Degree and enrolled for a Master’s Degree in Business and Administration at the University of Padua, and is currently attending the second and (maybe) last year.

Born and raised in Naples, after his scientific high school diploma, Stefano (Steve for friends) enrolled at the Mathematics faculty.

During his Master’s Degree, he left for an Erasmus+ experience in Prague, Czech Republic, and came back in love with internationality as a carrier for cultural exchange.

In September 2018 he decided to join ESN Napoli, where he held the position of President for two years, and later that of Local Representative.

He was always active and involved at the national level, in particular in the Communication Committee, where he was Sub-Coordinator of the Corporate Identity Area, in the Italian Pool of Trainers, and in the Due Sicilie Section Cooperation, of which he was Vice Coordinator in 2022.
However, he was most passionate about organising events, which is why in December 2022 – after the experiences of the ESN National School and Napoli Spring Break – he applied (and was elected) for the role of Events Manager.

Born in 1999 underneath the mole in the Savoy capital (AKA Turin), Gabriele (better known as Lele) graduated from his Bachelor’s Degree in Languages and Cultures for Tourism at the University of Turin in 2021 and started his Master’s Degree in Communication, ICT and Media, still in Turin.

He joined ESN Torino in the same week he had started his Bachelor’s in October 2018. He performed the role of Local Communication Manager in 2019-2020, then left for his Erasmus in València in September 2020. He held the position of Local Representative after coming back home in 2021-2022, the same period when he performed the role of Coordinator of ESN Italy’s Communication Committee.

He has lived in Torino, Gran Canaria, València e Bruxelles, where he went for his second Erasmus in the second semester of the academic year 2022/2023.

He has been a member of ESN Italy’s Communication Committee since May 2020, of the IT Committee and of ESN International’s Communication Committee since 2022.

In December 2022 he applied for and was elected as national Communication Manager for 2023.

Marta Faruffini was born in Genoa on September 29th, 1997. After her Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Heritage Conservation, she won a six-month Erasmus+ grant in Malaga, in Spain. After coming back from this adventure, in September 2019 she joined Genoa’s ESN Section and never left the Association. After two years as Local Representative in ESN GEG Genova’s Board and a Master’s Degree in History of Art, she decided to crown her engagement in ESN Italy’s Network by applying for Training and Activities Manager for 2023. Meanwhile, she keeps growing her career in history of art with a research grant at the University of Genoa.

Art and music lover, she is vegetarian to follow her personal inclination for environmental themes, and particularly cares about and supports the feminist cause. She loves animals and has an unexpected passion: Genoa, the football team that she supports on any possible occasion in the stadium.