Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniela Cavallero.
Daniela, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Years ago I had a dream of starting an Italian Language School and Cultural Center in Chicago — un salotto italiano — a place that would link the people of Chicago with Italy. I nurtured my dream and in 1997, I established Sentieri Italiani, which literally means “Italian paths.” A name that speaks to the converging paths of language and culture, and all that Italy has to offer.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been quite a smooth road but we had some financial struggle in 2009, 2010 and 2011 when there was the big economical and financial crisis in the US
Sentieri Italiani – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our belief is that to learn the Italian language, you need to embrace the Italian culture. And to understand the culture, you need to have a grasp of the language. The innovative and communicative teaching style of Sentieri brings the two together seamlessly.
We also wanted to create a warm and welcoming environment to invite students and members to attend our many cultural activities such as movie nights, wine classes, cultural lectures, regional dining, book clubs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The fact that the majority of our students have been with us for so many years has been the highest reward.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5430 N. Broadway
Chicago, Il. 60640 - Website: www.sentieri.com
- Phone: 7732755325
- Email: daniela@sentieri.com
- Facebook: sentieri italiani
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