Aiken welcomes students from Orvieto, Italy for a weeklong American experience

Aiken-based organization Partners in Friendship is continuing its tradition of cultural exchange, bringing together students from Orvieto, Italy, and Aiken.

Since 1996, Partners in Friendship has created a foreign exchange bond between the two cities. This year, six students from the small Italian town of Orvieto are spending a week in Aiken.

These students arrived in Aiken on June 29, and include Camilla Corradimi, Cristiano Pedichini, Lorenzo Marchino, Riccardo Rellini, Helena Racanella and Cecilia Relleni.

Through the Partners in Friendship program, hosting duties are alternated. Last year, Aiken students had the opportunity to visit their Italian counterparts in Orvieto after a three-year program hiatus due to the pandemic. Now, it’s the American students’ turn to welcome their Italian friends into their homes.

According to Francesca Pataro, a Partners in Friendship board member, the American students are from Aiken High School, while the Italian students come from various high schools. All of the students are either juniors or seniors.

“I’ve been involved in this program for 18 years,” Pataro said. “And the most important thing about Partners in Friendship is the opportunity students have to be able to see another way of life, another culture outside of the American culture, it gives them more open minds and understanding that life isn’t the same everywhere.”

“The world is a global place,” she added. “We’re all connected, and the more connected we get, the better off the world becomes.”

Each year, students are accompanied by both American and Italian chaperones. This year’s chaperones include Lanfranco Fattorini and Miriam Vicciolini from Italy, along with Pataro and Madison Terry from Aiken.

Vicciolini, who has been involved with this program for 25 years, spoke about what keeps her coming back.

“I teach English, and living in a small town like Orvieto, it’s not easy to be in touch with English speaking people," she said. "For me, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about your culture — I like American culture, that’s why I keep going and keep doing this.”

Terry said she looks forward to seeing how the students will foster the connections they made with each other last summer.

“These kids haven’t seen each other in a year, and they had a really lovely time together, and I’m just excited to see how much more they grow as friends,” she said.

Several Italian students spoke about what they’re looking forward to this week, and their American host students shared why they’re excited to share their culture.

Relleni said she’s looking forward to volunteering at Aiken SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare this week. “I think the most exciting experience that we will do is volunteer at the animal hospital,” she said.

Her host student, Campbell Crain, talked about the culture shock she felt in Italy last summer. “Everything’s so different,” she said, adding that she’s enthusiastic about seeing the visiting students experience that sensation, too.

Corradimi said she is excited to experience a drive-in movie at the Big Mo in Monetta. She added that her favorite part of showing American students around last summer was “when we went to Florence. It’s a beautiful city of Italy.”

Corradimi’s host student, Claire Bishop, said, “I’m most excited about them just seeing the U.S. in general, because I know it’s Camilla’s first time flying on a plane and being in America.”