A Life-Changing Opportunity: Giacomo Delinavelli’s Experience at Bocconi

There are opportunities in life that you cannot pass up because you may find yourself with regrets, especially if the reason for passing them up is because you did not have enough faith. Yet they were there the whole time, absolutely within your reach. In a nutshell, this is the opinion of Giacomo Delinavelli – a 32-year-old from the province of Salerno. He graduated from Bocconi University in law, and today serves as Legal and Policy counsel at Arthur's Legal in Amsterdam. "In high school I was a good student, but I did not excel; I was not at the top of the class. I had not even the slightest idea about my future, and Bocconi was a name that held a certain allure. It was more the University itself that attracted me," he says, "rather than studying economics or law. My family wanted me to attend university, but they were thinking of a university that was closer, more within reach." However, things often change quickly. All it takes is a few words, or advice from someone you trust, and you make decisions that were almost put aside until the day before. "It was my father’s cousin who convinced me to take the Bocconi admission test. Law school, of which I especially appreciated the humanistic component, was my second option. In the end, after passing the admission test, I enrolled." So, gathering up all of his courage, Giacomo did it. The burden on his family was also eased thanks to the scholarships awarded to him. However, many students give up, and it is both a shame and – in a certain sense – waste of talent. "Many young people are very aware about the costs and risks of studying far from home, so they give up on it more often than not. On the other hand, university mobility at the age of 18-19 should be encouraged," continues Giacomo. "Scholarships also put a certain amount of pressure on you because if you do not do well in school, you risk losing them. This can be a further tool for growth and awareness, though, in an already competitive environment like Bocconi." In the beginning, however, it was not easy for Giacomo to adapt – not only to the pace of Milan, but also to the even more pressing pace of Bocconi: "The first few months were really difficult between organizing my schedule and taking care of myself. Two of my first three University exams did not go well, so this scared me a bit, along with seeing most of the other students’ really high scores. Then things started to change; I got into the swing of it, and was able to graduate with good grades, on time." Above all, it was a path of growth – individual and collective – for which Giacomo still thanks his University today: "Bocconi has allowed me to grow and mature as a person. During the third year of my studies, I founded a student association called European Generation, which is still active and matters a lot to me. It is why I also like to talk about growth on a collective level." The first steps of his career path led to a small, commercial law firm in Milan, before landing a role at an international NGO called The Good Lobby. The organization was founded by Alberto Alemanno, a fellow Bocconi alumnus, and Giacomo ended up moving to Brussels for a year. He then took the opportunity to enroll in a research Master program at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), focused on data protection and information law. Then, after completing the program, he dedicated a short period to research and teaching before joining Arthur's Legal, where he currently is employed: "We deal with European projects; Horizon Europe is the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation, and we manage the legal and ethical aspects.” Giacomo’s young career is already rich in experiences and, above all, he is keen to specify, "international in a field, that of law, still very much linked to the domestic sphere”.  

translated by Rosa Palmieri