Meet the Class of 2018 Valedictorian Flavio Garinei
Flavio Garinei
John Cabot University’s Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Mary Merva is pleased to announce the Valedictorian for the Class of 2018, Flavio Garinei.
The word “valedictorian” is an anglicised derivation of the Latin vale dicere (“to say farewell”) and refers to the student who delivers the farewell statement at the graduation ceremony. This honor is usually granted to the student with the highest grade point average of the graduating class.
Flavio was born and raised in Rome and went to an English-language primary school. He attended high school at the Italian liceo classico E. Q. Visconti, where, thanks to a passionate math and physics professor, he developed a strong interest in scientific subjects. Flavio started his college career at an Italian university but soon transferred to JCU where he majored in Economics and Finance. “John Cabot University was the perfect fit for me, as it combined the international environment I had gotten used to as a child with a strong Economics Department that was well suited to my interests,” says Flavio.
During his time at JCU, Flavio worked in the Math Tutoring Center, where he was able to hone his teaching skills. “This experience has proven to be extremely useful, as I intend to make a career out of teaching,” explains Flavio. “I’m very familiar what it feels like to be overwhelmed by new concepts, therefore I liked the idea that I could help others feel less scared of math. It was fun to see people improve.”
Flavio, who is currently exploring graduate programs in Finance, also received two Academic Excellence Awards: in Economics and Finance and in Mathematics. He has the following advice for students who find mathematics challenging: “Practice! Practice lots, then practice some more. There’s no other way. Also, don’t be scared if you make mistakes, ask for clarifications when you see the professor’s corrections on your assignments or exams, JCU professors are always available for help.”
Here’s what some of Flavio’s professors had to say about him.
Francesco Ruscitti, Associate Professor of Economics
“When I met Flavio it was immediately clear that I was dealing with a truly exceptional, intelligent, witty, and engaged person. It has truly been a pleasure to mentor Flavio and have him as an advisee as well as my student in several classes. His questions and comments (in and out of the classroom) often prompted me to reflect more carefully on economic issues and models. As a result of Flavio’s inquisitive mind, in some cases I even revised and improved the teaching materials and content I rely on for my lectures. It’s not every day that one gets the chance to encounter a one-of-a-kind student like Flavio!”
Margaret Kneller, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences and Coordinator of the Math Tutoring Center
“Flavio was a wonderful student tutor, with a wide range of aptitudes: mathematics to statistics, and also economics and finance. Not only could he approach subjects from both advanced and beginner levels, but he inspired confidence in students and always maintained an exceptional sense of responsibility both toward his fellow tutors and the tutees.”
Stefano Arnone, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Flavio is every professor’s ideal student, with his great intellectual flexibility and stamina, his eagerness to learn, and his self-disciplined ability to study intensively and independently. I feel privileged to have had him in my classes and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
