On May 18 the Premio alla Bontà (Acts of Goodness Award) in memory of Hazel Marie Cole returned to UWC Adriatic and was received this year by 16 students. This award consists in a yearly contribution for pocket money for a number of deserving students at our college, and is part of a series of awards intended to single out acts of goodness and enhance the common humanity of people from different cultures and nationalities. The students receiving the award this year were first- and second-year students from Egypt, the Dominican Republic, Gambia, India, Iraq, Kosovo, Palestine, Syria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Tibet.
The academic year at the College is drawing to an end for 1st years, while second-years have already left Duino. The award was therefore handed out by Mr. Aldo Pianciamore – Secretary of the Premio alla Bontà association and Hazel Marie Cole’s widower – to 5 first-year students and Syrian second-year Ameer. The latter is still at the college awaiting a visa for the United States, where he plans to continue his studies by taking a major in medicine and business. Ameer, whose College scholarship was supported by Assicurazioni Generali, will therefore not be able to return home to his family at the end of his two years in Duino. Tenzin, an Indian/Tibetan student, and Yousef, a Palestinian from Gaza (both with scholarships supported by Horizon Foundation), will also remain at the College throughout the summer owing to the difficult situations in their countries. On the other hand, Ibrahim, a student from Sierra Leone who arrived in Italy as an unaccompanied minor and whose scholarship was supported by the Never Alone project, will return to his home country. Ibrahim has also received a GoMAD (Go Make a Difference) grant for a project that he will implement in his home village, where he intends to provide the only elementary school with drinkable water and toilets.
In delivering the award to the students of the College, Mr. Pianciamore referred to the acts of goodness by his wife Hazel towards college students, whom she often found around Duino ill equipped for the cold winter weather and to whom she used to give her husband’s warmest garments. “Through this yearly contribution to the pocket money of a number of UWC Adriatic students” said Mr. Pianciamore, “our association wishes to keep this tradition alive. Another aim, is to acknowledge the value of the educational model of the United World Colleges, which bring together students from around the world and teach them to celebrate diversity and our common humanity, across all cultural, religious and political divides”.
In extending his warmest thanks to the Premio alla Bontà association, the UWC Adriatic Rettore, William Turner, returned on this point by addressing the students: “You who have come to Duino thanks to the generosity of those who support the values of the United World Colleges, will return to your communities one day as examples of the importance of acts of goodness and generosity”.
