1.What language(s) do you master? How did you become bilingual?
I was very fortunate and grew up in a bi-cultural household, so I’ve been speaking English and Italian ever since I could speak. Once the time came for me to learn a language in school, I decided on Spanish. My ability to speak Italian made it extremely easy to pick up on it. Although learning Spanish in a classroom setting was a great place to start, it wasn’t until I studied abroad in Ecuador that I truly felt fluent in the language.
2. Tell us a little about your background in other industries before working with Verbio
I don’t really have much of a background in other industries prior to my time with Verbio. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and a minor in Spanish Language & Culture in 2018. I then took a gap year to explore possible career options before attending the Middlebury Institute of International Studies where I received a Master of Arts in Translation and Localization Management. Besides my educational background, I’ve spent time working in the sports world as a referee, in the restaurant industry, and I even interned for a local Congressman in Monterey.
3. What attracted you to collaborate with a language services firm?
For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in language and culture. That stemmed from my travels at a young age and through my upbringing. I always thought that being able to use my knowledge to enable communication and services throughout the globe was an amazing thing, especially nowadays when companies continue to expand their global outreach. Language is such a beautiful thing that bridges cultures together and helps us communicate in order to get a better understanding of one another.
Cortina d’Ampezzo
4. Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I was born in my mother’s hometown in Italy. It’s a small town in the Dolomites called Cortina d’Ampezzo. Because of this, I’m fortunate enough to be a dual citizen and have 2 passports.
5. Recount an incident when language barriers played a big role in the success/failure of one of your projects?
Thankfully, throughout the duration of my Master’s program, I never ran into any issues on projects because of a language barrier. Now that I’m fully immersed into the translation/localization industry, it’s inevitable that I will encounter language barriers that will lead to the success/failure of one of my projects.
6. What would the title of your autobiography be?
Don’t Worry, Be Happy. When I was a teenager, I made a promise to myself to live every day of my life being as happy as I possibly could. Obviously, there are days that the level of happiness isn’t as high as others, but I always try to stay optimistic and find the beauty in life.
7. What’s the weirdest fact you know?
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world (tied with China for 1st).
8. What is one type of souvenir you always try to collect when you travel?
I’m not much of a souvenir collector when I travel to be honest. I have a fairly large soccer jersey collection, so maybe I could add to it by purchasing a jersey in every country that I visit from here on out.
9. If money was not limited, what country would you visit next?
I don’t have many things on my bucket list, but the one at the very top is to attend the World Cup. In terms of countries that I’d like to visit, the top of my list is: Greece, Croatia, and Morocco. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit a few islands in the Caribbean; I would love to explore more tropical islands around the world.
10. What’s a trip that changed you, and why?
After graduating from high school and before attending university, I took a gap year and studied abroad with Rotary Youth Exchange. I was sent to Ecuador for a year, where I lived in a small town south of Quito called Latacunga. That was the most adventurous and different thing I had ever done in my life at that point. I was only 17 living in a country where I didn’t know anybody and lived with a host family. The experiences I had and the memories I made there will last a lifetime. I met lifelong friends there and was able to travel throughout the entire country. I grew up so much in that one year and it played a major role in shaping me to be the individual that I am today.
Latacunga, Ecuador
11. You spent part of your childhood in Italy. Give us a taste of that experience. Pick a favorite dish, pastry, history, local language or culture to share.
11. You spent part of your childhood in Italy. Give us a taste of that experience. Pick a favorite dish, pastry, history, local language or culture to share.As I mentioned previously, I was born in Italy but I grew up and lived the majority of my life in the U.S. Some of the fondest memories from my childhood were during the summer and winter. I was fortunate enough to be taken out of school for a couple of months during the winter to go ski in Italy and spend time with my family. On the contrary, during the summer, I would spend almost the entire summer vacation in Italy. Half of that time was spent in Cortina d’Ampezzo (in the mountains), while the other half was spent in Rimini. Rimini is a beach town where my mother’s sister lives, so we would spend the majority of our days out in the sun and in the water. As an Italian, family and food are extremely important (as is the case in most cultures). The simple act of preparing a meal with the entire family and enjoying it all together is something I hold near and dear to my heart.
12. What’s your favorite dad joke?
Everyone has heard of the historical figure, Karl Marx. But no one remembers his sister, Onya, who invented the starting pistol.
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13. Who would you invite onto your talk show and why?
I would invite Bob Marley. I’m a fan of his music and have seen documentaries about his life, but I want to learn more about him as an individual. I would love to pick his brain about his personal experiences and his upbringing. This interaction during an interview is so powerful to me and I would love to discuss more about his life and how he viewed the world. I’m a people pleaser, so I also think it would be received very well by the audience.
Interviewer: “Are you a rich man?”
Bob Marley: “When you mean rich, what do you mean?”
Interviewer: “Do you have a lot of possessions, a lot of money in the bank?”
Bob Marley: “Possessions make you rich? I don’t have that type of riches. My riches is life forever.”
Left to right: First day of school for Joshua and brother; mom, dad, brother, and Joshua – La Famiglia (the family); Joshua and brother wearing Italian jerseys the day Italy won the 2006 World Cup; Joshua and his brother in Rimini, Italy at their aunt’s house (it was karting day); another first day of school for Joshua!