Meet the Team: Michael, Marketing Coordinator at ViaMonde

Welcome Michael, the newest and youngest addition to the ViaMonde team, but don’t let his age fool you. After six years of study, Michael speaks Italian fluently, second only to Carla, a native speaker. Since his high school graduation in 2022, Michael has immersed himself in Social Media, where he quickly learned how to grow a following. His self-taught marketing prowess allowed him to earn a living off his viewership before joining the ViaMonde team.  

“I’ve always been proud of my Italian-American heritage.” Michael says about pursuing his Italian citizenship. “My grandfather was also a great inspiration for me… as a young man, my nonno left everything behind, got on a boat, and sailed to the other side of the world.” His close relationship with his grandfather was the beginning of his Italian language learning journey, but also the origin of his desire to move to Sicily.

“Everyone told me moving to Sicily wasn't a realistic dream… that Sicily wasn't a good place to live; that there were no resources, no modern appliances, and no opportunity.” But Michael ignored the naysayers and followed his dream. In June of 2025, Michael arrived in Sicily by ferry from Naples, backtracking his grandfather’s steps.

“I was 16 when I first asked my nonno to teach me some Italian phrases,” Michael smiled as he recounted the story, “but two months later he passed away. Suddenly, I had this burning desire to speak Italian fluently as a way to honor him.” With a collaboration of books, apps, and music, Michael grew his vocabulary and perfected his pronunciation. ‘In Altre Parole’ by Jhumpa Lahiri,  a memoir about the author's experience learning Italian and moving to Italy is one of Michael’s favorite Italian reads.

He also recommends Italian opera for language learning, as well as some of his favorite Italian artists including Il Volo, Al Bano, Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti, and Pino Villa. “After moving to Sicily, I quickly befriended my elderly neighbors who didn't speak any English, which forced me to speak the language better. But I quickly discovered Italian and Sicilian were very different, so now I'm learning a third language as well!”

Michael first learned about jure sanguinis when he was still in high school, desperately searching for a way to make his Sicilian dream a reality. By his senior year, Michael determined that he was eligible and started collecting documents. “But I ran into so many hurdles.” Michael recalled. “After consulting with a few different companies, I met Jennifer and signed a contract with ViaMonde (then ICC).”

Michael was recognized in record time, officially submitting his application in July 2025 and approved by September. In that same month, Michael joined the ViaMonde team as our Marketing coordinator. His role allows him to mix his creative passion and love of all things Italian on our social media channels. “I joined ViaMonde because I believe in our mission, and love the work that we do.” 

“My life has changed drastically since moving to Italy. I found a warm community here that I never would have had in the States. I especially love to travel around Sicily, and learn about its history. Sicily is where I feel I most belong; I love the United States, but I truly feel that my heart is Sicilian.”