Giulia is seventeen and attends the Liceo Scientifico E. Fermi in Bologna. Last year, she participated in Factor J, the project on health promoted with Janssen Italia. This year, she decided to work as a project ambassador, contributing to peer training and the drafting of the first collaboratively written “Health Manifesto.”
What drove you to continue with Factor J?
I really enjoyed Factor J sessions, especially from an emotional point of view. The patient testimonials really touched me. I still vividly remember the words of a patient suffering from pulmonary hypertension, who only had a few years of life left. It was not a story of survival, but one of resilience and love for life.
Do you believe that this emotional involvement somehow improved your learning process?
Yes, absolutely. Thanks to Factor J, I learned to empathise with others. Meeting people who had issues, allowed me to understand their suffering. And this inspired me to learn more about the issues at hand, even didactically.
What career would you like to undertake?
“I’m interested in science and medicine and undecided whether to continue my studies in nursing or medicine. The problem is the entrance exam. I know things have changed but am not sure the novelties concern me. So, we’ll see. I’m leaving all doors open for the moment.”
What has driven your interest in medicine?
There was one very significant event for me. A few years ago, at the sea, a young woman suffered a leg injury. There was practically a hole in her muscle, and she was about to feint. I noticed that her panic-stricken boyfriend did not know what to do. So, I helped them, called an ambulance and tried to keep the woman awake. The adrenaline rush left me without doubts: that’s what I wanted to do.
What do you do in your free time?
I don’t live in Bologna, but near San Pietro Terme by Imola. It takes me about 40 minutes to go to school and when I get back, I work as a dog-sitter for a neighbour. So, I don’t have much free time. On Saturdays, I go out with my friends and on Sundays I study.
How come you chose a school that was so far from your house?
I don’t live in a city, so I wanted to mix things up and try a new experience. And it was the right decision. I love the environment. All my friends live nearby, but I met them because they attended the same school. We grew very close on the bus trips, but now that I’m at university, I’m alone again on the bus.
How did you manage your life during the pandemic?
At first, it didn’t have strong impact on me. It was a completely new and exceptional event. I faced it as a challenge, and the first lockdown was not too dramatic. The second time around, however, I must admit that I thought “we’ll never get out of this.” And the hardest thing was when I actually got Covid. In fact, while during the lockdown the experience was shared with others, the illness is an individual experience. It was the first time I felt so isolated and alone.
Covid-19: What have youth lost? What have they gained?
My generation has lost touch with socialisation. We have become used to doing things alone. I used to miss going dancing, but now if I think about it, I panic. I hope to get over this fear soon. Instead, if I think about what we have learned, about not taking education or school for granted, about leaving the house and studying whatever we like, that’s a gift.
What is your hope for the future?
I hope to be tranquil, serene and happy. I have no regrets and am happy about my choices.
