Teachers

Sabrina has one year of experience working in a kindergarten and another year in a daycare, in addition to several years of private tutoring with students of different ages. Through this work, Sabrina has supported learners in achieving their academic goals, passing exams, and preparing their theses.

Born and raised in Vicenza, Italy, where she spent most of her life, she moved to the United States in 2013. She earned a law degree from the University of Trento and worked as a lawyer for nearly 15 years. After relocating to the U.S., she unexpectedly discovered a passion for teaching the Italian language. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Teaching Italian Language and Literature (L2) from the University of Siena. She has taught Italian at the Dante Alighieri Society and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, where she currently leads an Italian book club. She is now teaching Italian at Waltham High School. She has a strong passion for theater, particularly for using theater techniques in language teaching.

Giovanni is a native Italian, born in Rome and raised in the beautiful surroundings of the Roman Castles area. Over the years, he has lived in Northern Italy, Australia, France, UK and Belgium, and he moved to Boston in 2024. An experienced language teacher, he holds a University of Siena DITALS certification to teach Italian to foreigners as well as a Master’s in Conference Interpreting & Translation in English, French and Italian from the University of Bologna. Giovanni is also a saxophone player; he holds a Bachelor of Music from the Civica Scuola di Musica in Milan and has performed in hot jazz, swing, and soul bands. In a previous life he worked as a communication officer for the European Union and as a flight attendant for a European airline. In his free time he enjoys playing the saxophone, the clarinet and the piano, as well as watching movies and traveling.

Michele “Mick” Potenza is originally from San Severo in Puglia and live in Somerville, MA with his wife, former PILC student and volunteer, and his children, students and volunteers at PILC. For years Michele worked as a volunteer teacher with the teenager advanced class. He enjoyed the experience to the extend he wrote a textbook: “Capisci?”.

He is currently Sales Director at Palsgaard. Before, he held Business Management positions at DuPont and Ciba (now BASF) among others. He contributed to the Handbook of Industrial Polyethylene and Technology (Wiley, 2017). He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and a MSc in Financial Management from SAA University of Turin. Michele loves travelling, gardening, art, wine, soccer, plastics, reading and of course the Italian language and culture.

Domenic is a Director of Marketing and Communications at Morgan Stanley.  He holds a degree in International Political Economy and Romance Languages from Fordham University and has been teaching and privately tutoring in Italian, French, and Spanish for over ten years.  Domenic moved to Boston in 2024 from Wolcott, Connecticut, and has become involved with his new community through his teaching Italian and playing the organ at the Italian Mass in the North End.  

Prior to moving to Boston, Domenic worked remotely for Morgan Stanley, spending much of this time in Italy.  He spent many years of his life living in the coastal Calabrian town of Soverato and goes back to visit as much as he can.  Domenic is a licensed Stockbroker and Investment Advisor Representative, and in his free time, enjoys traveling, playing piano, and playing tennis.  He speaks eight languages and has traveled to 47 states and 32 countries.

Valeria is a full-time high school math teacher with a passion for mathematics and making learning enjoyable. Outside her classroom, Valeria teaches Italian in a relaxed and engaging way, helping all students build confidence through conversation, real-life expressions, and cultural insights. Known for being patient, energetic, and approachable, Valeria brings the same enthusiasm and creativity to teaching Italian as she does to teaching math every day. Born in the beautiful region of Abruzzo, she moved to the US two decades ago, but maintains strong ties with her native culture. She currently lives in the Boston area, but she spends her time traveling across the US. Valeria earned a degree in quantitative reasoning from the Harvard University Extension School, and a Master's in Teaching in secondary Math from Trevecca University. Alongside math and her love for sharing her culture, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and going to the beach.

Teacher's Assistants

Rebecca was born in Vicenza, Italy, and moved to the United States with her family at the age of five. She is now a junior in high school, she is passionate about science and social justice. She has been playing soccer since seventh grade, she now coaches youth soccer in Cambridge. Rebecca is very sociable and loves spending time with friends. Every summer, she returns to Italy to reconnect with her cousins and childhood friends keeping strong ties to her Italian roots. She enjoys volunteering at the Italian Saturday school because of the strong sense of community that the school fosters.

Nathalie is a dedicated and passionate girl who loves working with kids. She has been volunteering at PILC since 2023 helping teachers with pre-K and elementary classes. Before volunteering she was a student at PILC for about 10 years. 

She is currently studying at Arlington Catholic High School (class of 2027) and working as a Child Care Assistant at Saint Agnes Early Childhood Center in Arlington, MA (since 2023).

Nathalie has a rich history of volunteer work, including roles at Fidelity House, Arlington Boys and Girls Club, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, and Cradles to Crayons.

Nathalie is fluent in Italian and when not studying or working she enjoys. crocheting, knitting, and reading

Alexis is an experienced educator and clinician with over 20 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist in Boston Public Schools. She holds a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Tufts University. Outside of her professional role, Alexis is passionate about Italian language and culture, and actively seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge and skills and share what she learns with others.

Born in Ortona a Mare (Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy), she earned her Teaching Certification from the Guglielmo Marconi Institute in Pescara and later obtained a Diploma in Business Administration through an accelerated government program for certified educators. She also holds a diploma in Dressmaking. Her early career in Italy included substitute teaching in elementary schools and teaching typing, shorthand, and mechanical calculation at the Olivetti branch in Lanciano.

She emigrated to the U.S. in 1975 with her husband Giovanni and their 15-month-old daughter, Estella. After studying English at the Berlitz Language School, she began a distinguished career at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Boston, where she worked until retirement, passing nine LOMA exams equivalent to university-level courses. In 2023, she was awarded the title of Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana by President Sergio Mattarella for her dedication to volunteer work and her role in promoting Italian language, art, and music in the Boston community. Her deep love for children and education led her to volunteer for over 17 years teaching Italian to preschoolers at the Pirandello Italian Language Center (PILC), and she also taught at the CASIT Summer Camp for three years.