For two years Roberto Rossetto’s friends tried to convince him to join AEGEE. Always in vain. Fortunately they succeeded in the end, otherwise we would have a lot less Limoncello at European Nights – and one candidate for President of AEGEE-Europe less at the upcoming Agora in Bucharest. What else you need to now about this AEGEE-Napoli legend? Check out this article.
Golden Times: Where would you be now if you hadn’t joined AEGEE?
Roberto Rossetto: Life often takes unexpected paths, so I can’t know what I would have become without AEGEE. The only sure thing is, if I hadn’t joined, I wouldn’t be running now to become its President!
GT: How did you join AEGEE exactly? How did you find out about it?
Roberto: Graduation: done. Girlfriend: left me. What do we do tonight? Pub Crawl! That’s how I joined AEGEE-Napoli.
GT: How long did it take you from the first moment until you signed the membership form and joined AEGEE?
Roberto: Two of my friends, board members of AEGEE-Napoli, were telling me about AEGEE for two years. Yes, two! And I was always like: “Cool! I’ll check the next weekly meeting!”, or: “Yeah, but I have to go out with my girlfriend…” Yes, I regret it so much. Perhaps, if I had met AEGEE earlier, I would run for the EU Parliament now!
GT: What’s the typical drink and food you bring to European Nights?
Roberto: It’s yellow. It’s sweet. It’s tasty. It’s Limoncello!
GT: At an AEGEE party where will we find you? On the dancefloor? Talking at the bar?
Roberto: Either organising the party, or hanging out of the crowd with the people who made my AEGEE experience great.
GT: What was your first position in the local board?
Roberto: Secretary of AEGEE-Napoli.
GT: What was your favourite event as organiser – and why is it your favourite?
Roberto: My first Summer University. I joined all the organizational meetings without ever speaking a single word, I was just listening. It was a weird world, everything was new. Then, the very first moment I entered our accommodation, all the tiles fell into place. The Organizer’s Curse was on me. I was doomed to care about every detail, to create the most amazing experience possible for our participants. That feeling of enlightenment and discovery… I will never forget it.
GT: What was your first Agora and how did you feel there? Happy, excited, overwhelmed, lost?
Roberto: Agora Chisinau in 2016. I was the only person from AEGEE-Napoli, I didn’t know many people, and AEGEE-Lviv adopted me. I didn’t really understand what AEGEE was before that Agora: for a second time, I felt enlightened.
GT: Have you ever hichhiked to an AEGEE event?
Roberto: I hitchhiked only after my first SU, in Albania. Coming from a peninsula, it’s not a common thing for me to hitchhike – that would be difficult to do on planes.
GT: Do you like cooking and what’s your favourite dish you like to cook?
Roberto: I hate cooking for myself, but I love cooking for other people! You should taste my “purpetielle affucate” – octopus in a heavy, tasty tomato sauce. Don’t be surprised if after that you fall in love with Italian cuisine!
GT: What’s never missing in your fridge?
Roberto: Permafrost. I use the fridge so little that I am thinking of selling it. I mostly buy only the food I need for the day.
GT: What do your parents think about the idea that you are so active in AEGEE and even want to move to Brussels?
Roberto: My mum is about to disown me. The idea of her beloved son working for no money is way too much for her.
GT: In a typology of members there are the three aspects fun member, career member and idealist – to which percentage are you which of these aspects?
Roberto: This is a difficult one! I love having fun and making people have fun; I’ve used AEGEE to build myself a cool CV for which companies are actually calling me – and I’m rejecting them; I have strong ideals leading my actions and building my vision. Being balanced in the three should be a guideline for everyone. Do things that match your ideals and ethics. Improve yourself and your competences. Never forget the fun. And you will be happy!
GT: What other hobbies do you have aside from AEGEE?
Roberto: I used to practice Krav Maga and Boxe, to make my own wine and grapewine, to watch a lot of animes, to play chess. Then AEGEE came, and AEGEE doesn’t go along very well with other interests, so the time for hobbies has become tinier and tinier.
GT: Did you consider joining a political party or maybe want to do it later?
Roberto: I have been considering it for a while. Actually, before joining AEGEE, I had little interest in politics and my main focus was on practical administration – I’ve always been passionate about city planning, for example. Then, through this associative experience, as I started to actually interact with the political world, I realized that the two things cannot be kept separated.
GT: What do you study – and why?
Roberto: I studied Buildings Engineering, just because I like it. I am a deeply curious person who loves to delve into many different fields and I feel like I could go back ten more times to the University and choose a different major each time. I am actually seriously considering to get a degree in Psychology or Economics.
GT: What’s your dream job?
Roberto: I imagine myself in 30 years as a super busy and eclectic serial entrepreneur, owning companies in every field known to mankind. I was also thinking of a career as a superhero, but then I realized it would not be adrenalinic enough.
GT: What’s the favourite city or place on this planet you ever visited?
Roberto: The Cannon’s Terrace on top of Castel dell’Ovo. It’s in Napoli. I don’t know if it’s because of the view, of the sea scent, of the wind, of the memories, of all of this… but that’s my favourite place on Earth.
GT: And where would you really like to go?
Roberto: Tokyo! I’ have always been passionate about Japanese culture, some years ago I began studying some Japanese too.
GT: What’s your biggest frustration in AEGEE?
Roberto: Knowledge Management. There’s a constant flow of lost knowledge in our association. An efficient training body working closely with AEGEE-Europe can effectively make up for this issue.
GT: Please complete the sentence: “AEGEE is for me…”
Roberto: …a network of empowered young people, of knowledgeable and aware citizens, who are able to shape a better future for themselves and for the next generations.
GT: How would you describe yourself in a few keywords?
Roberto: Passionate. Hardworking. Visionary.
