JCU’s Invisible Thread: The Maintenance Staff - Part 2
The JCU maintenance staff plays a vital yet often underappreciated role in maintaining a tidy and safe environment for students and faculty. Their work is an essential cornerstone of university life without which the smooth operation of the campuses would be impossible.
Read about Giuseppe, Nora, and Saman’s stories in part two of two.
Giuseppe “Pino” Falcone – Italy
“Finding Creativity in Stability”
When I came to Rome from Florence, I worked as a stage light technician in a theater for 15 years. I eventually worked for production companies and on sets in Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Switzerland. In Italy, I worked for some of the most important theaters in the country, such as the Teatro Vascello, the Teatro India, the Teatro Palladium in Rome, and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence.
In 2015, I suffered from a difficult health problem and had to temporarily stop working. I was contacted by JCU through an employment agency because they needed someone with a technical background. Even though I am now just a maintenance worker for a university, I still get to work for several university events in the course of the semester and have a more stable schedule. I recently had the opportunity to work at a concert held in the Aula Magna Regina, organized by Professor Paolo Prato, called “The Art of Whistling.” I edited the video recording of the concert for JCU TV.
Outside of work, I volunteer for cultural associations near my home that need graphic designers for their social media. The thing I am most proud of was when I designed a board game for Archivio Disarmo, a development association. The money earned from the board game was used to finance the association. Also, in 2019 through JCU, I painted a wall for a psychiatric center. I was awarded a badge by the Director of Community Service, Religious Life and Multiculturalism, Julia Del Papa, and it was a great way to connect my passions to my work at JCU.
I also love to paint, and I’ve come to be known among a small Roman artistic circle. I started painting when I became ill and have participated in requalification projects all around Rome. I’ve painted murals in the Trullo, Nomentana, and Primavalle neighborhoods. The artistic achievement I am most proud of is when I participated in the Havana Biennial in November 2024. We represented Italy and filled the entrance hall of an exhibition space in Havana with stickers from all around the world.
I have a lot of passions, and I have the freedom to pursue them thanks to the stability of my job at JCU.
Nora Carrera – Peru
“No Party Without Dancing”
I came to Italy 13 years ago and have worked at JCU for three years. A friend of mine told me about a job opportunity in the Tiber Cafe and helped bring me in. My main job is to ensure that there is always food available for the students and staff. When it is time to close, we clean and tidy everything up, including the fridge.
Before coming to JCU, I was consistently switching jobs. I’ve found a much better work environment here. My other jobs were more challenging, mainly due to the work hours and physical labor. I like my job here, and I enjoy working with my colleagues. Even if we don’t know each other’s languages, we are still able to communicate with hand gestures. It is always nice meeting people from Latin America, such as Mexico and El Salvador. While I am speaking my language, it helps make me feel like I am back home.
Outside of work, I enjoy running. When I am bored at home, I put my shoes on and can run for hours. I also like making keychains and embroidered flowers like tulips and roses. It helps me unwind and relax and I can give them to my family whenever I visit. I also enjoy dancing, which is a popular thing to do in Latin America. Where I’m from, it’s lively and festive, and you are always eating and dancing at celebrations. There is no party without dancing.
A word from my language I believe to be important is humanidad, meaning “compassion.” It is what makes us human, which I think can be rare to find these days. When someone is in a difficult situation, it is always right to help them. This is something that is very important and will make for a better future.
Saman Samarathunga – Sri Lanka
“For My Family”
I worked for an external cleaning company at JCU, and in 2017 I was hired here. My job is to check that every campus is running smoothly, and whenever there is a problem that needs to be solved, the guards and the people in the front office come to me. I am always happy to help because I love JCU. I like every person here and appreciate how my colleagues and the students always say “hello.”
I also have a responsibility to provide for my family back at home. I have two kids that are back in Sri Lanka with my wife and mother. One of them has just graduated with a degree in Data Science and the other in Artificial Intelligence. My family is the most important thing in my life. I care that my children were able to get an education and that I am doing everything I can to help them. I send most of the money I make back to my wife and mother.
I wish I could be back with my family. I have been here for 15 years because I need to support them. I’ve had a lot of different jobs over the years, and I like it here at JCU. A while ago, I worked in Italian actor Rocco Papaleo’s house, and I still work with a Roman family I’ve known since 2009.
I had never thought of living permanently in Italy, but I would like to learn more Italian. I think it is important for me to understand it better since I know I will be here for a few more years. Now, I have a permanent job visa. Even though my children are done studying, I still need to work to save some money for my wife and I. Sri Lanka is a lot poorer than Italy. Here, if you work, you can get by. Back at home, you cannot. I am happy to have a job that is stable.
Through long days, shared laughs, and quiet moments, the maintenance staff has formed connections that extend beyond the job. It’s become not just about the roles they’ve filled, but the relationships they’ve built. As Administrative Facilities Manager Corrine Sabbatucci said, “Working at JCU allows us to become a family because work is a big part of our lives. Everyone shows a lot of respect for every single role that is here.”
For many of them, JCU is not just where they work, but where they have found a second home. Remember to acknowledge and appreciate these people, because they help make JCU a home for you, too.
Read JCU’s Invisible Thread: The Maintenance Staff – Part 1.
