Italian American identity means different things to different people, and the “Italian American Experience” is oftentimes a very personal definition for each individual.  At one point or another, it’s safe to say most of us have felt a certain “otherness” setting us apart from the mainstream.  If you have felt this more frequently than others, we’ve got the Paesana for you!

On this week’s episode, we’ll chat with Victoria Passarella, the founder of Metropolitan Island, Brooklyn Ivy League, and the Italian American Leadership Network. After graduate school at Columbia University, and working for the university in career education, Victoria noticed that her Italian American upbringing led to some major cultural differences from the institutions around her.