Dario Nardella
Dario Nardella, mayor of Florence, Italy, will share some words of wisdom with graduating students at Sunday’s Commencement in the JMA Wireless Dome. But what was one of the best pieces of advice he received as a young person?
SU News posed a few questions to Nardella before he makes his way to Syracuse.
Nardella is currently serving his second term as mayor of the Renaissance city. He also serves as Special Rapporteur for Ukraine at the European Union (EU) Committee of the Regions and secretary general of Eurocities, a nonprofit organization of over 200 large cities, representing more than 150 million people across 38 countries from within and outside the EU. He previously served as its president.
Nardella’s city is home to the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence—a program that has welcomed tens of thousands of Syracuse students for more than 60 years.
Syracuse University was the first American university to establish a campus in Florence when it did so in 1959. As the history of the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Syracuse University Program in Florence shows—and through the experience of Mr. D’Aniello himself as a former student who joined the rescue effort of art and historical works during the 1966 flood in the city—the relationship is quite unique. It has grown stronger, and, thanks to the relentless commitment of its leadership, the Florence program has been able to convey a deep understanding of our cultural heritage so that students can make the values it embodies their own. Students are not just a temporary part of our community, but they can become foundations upon which long-lasting relations between two countries and two cultures can grow stronger. This is the Florence campus to us.
The possibility to give voice to the unheard, to my community and to improve their life. The possibility to build a better future for us all. That possibility is a very different thing from power. It’s an opportunity. Every politician should be aware that they are given the greatest opportunity of all: serving their community.
The greatest reward is in the words “to serve.” The trust my fellow citizens have in me but also their criticism, as it helps me to grow. Listening to my community and implementing decisions that can improve their life.
Don’t let power, as commonly intended, change you. Rather, change things through the power of your good deeds. Stay humble.
Don’t be afraid of challenges, trust your knowledge and be curious so to always nourish that knowledge, to understand what is different from you, alien to you. Be passionate and compassionate about what you do and who you are. Most importantly, don’t let anyone take that away from you.
