The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Ryan Giacomino/The University News Italian professor Simone Bregni, currently on sabbatical, is well-versed in Dante's Divine Comedy, as well as skateboarding and video games.

If someone had told Simone Bregni, 44, that by 2008 he would be the director of the Italian Department at Saint Louis University, there's a good chance he would be surprised. That's because he bounced through a number of other vocations, before he would even arrive at SLU to teach others about his home country and native tongue.

"The reason why I love to teach my language, literature and culture is because it is my chance to show young people that above and beyond cultural, ethnic differences, we are all one," Bregni said.

"I'm going to be happy if, by taking my courses and learning about a different culture, my students will have had a chance to learn more about themselves, who they are and what they really want, and see the value in pursuing their dreams."

Bregni lived in Asti, a medium-sized town in northwest Italy, from age 7 to 31. After attending high school at Liceo Alfieri in Asti, he went to law school for three years before dropping out and pursuing a degree in the letters (humanities) at the University of Torino.

Motivated by his interest in theology, Bregni simultaneously pursued his degree and lived in a seminary for about five years. He dropped out of the seminary, but graduated with a Laurea-the Italian equivalent of a Master's degree-in the humanities, with a focus on medieval studies and the classics.

Still unsure about his career plans, Bregni took a course in diplomacy and international relations. The course made him consider the possibility of pursuing a career abroad. Bregni seriously weighed the possibility of teaching in the United States, especially considering the potential for corruption in Italy.

"I love my country, but Italy has major problems with corruption," he said. "In order to get a job, especially in some specific areas, connections are more important than your skills."

After his course in diplomacy, Bregni entertained the idea of becoming a journalist, so he enrolled in the Catholic University of Milan and took a course in communication. Later, he also studied public relations.

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