06/09/2026
Sometimes the moments that change your life don’t feel big when they’re happening.💫
In 2019, I came to Reggio Emilia as a visiting professor through USAC.
One evening, I decided to go to Yoga in the Piazza.
It wasn’t part of some grand plan. I just rolled out my mat and sat down.
As I looked around, I noticed the photos hanging throughout the piazza and the people gathered around me. I didn’t know who they were yet, but I remember having a very clear feeling:
These are my people.
I found out that the event was being organized by GAST and that it happened to be their birthday celebration.
For the next few weeks, I volunteered whenever I could.
The more time I spent with the athletes, staff, families, and volunteers, the more certain I became that there was something special happening here.
Before I left Italy that summer, I sat down with Giacomo and said:
“We need to build a project together. My students need to experience this.”
We started planning right away. Then COVID arrived.
The project was put on hold, and what we thought would take one year ended up taking three.
But eventually it happened.
This year, we are welcoming our sixth group of Chico State students to Reggio Emilia.
And somewhere along the way, the project changed my life too.
What started as a chance yoga class in Piazza Fontanesi led to years of collaboration with GAST, bringing students to Italy every summer, and eventually moving here to work alongside the people who inspired me that very first day.
Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that so much came from one evening and one feeling:
These are my people.
Grateful for that day in Piazza Fontanesi, for GAST, and for everything that has grown from it. 🤍