Standing for the Victorian Italian-Australian Tertiary Association, VITA was formed by the Italian Clubs of The University of Melbourne, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology, La Trobe University and RMIT University.
Along with providing a united voice for Italo-Australian youth in the local community, VITA aims to offer overarching support and resources to young Italo-Australians at a tertiary level.
The association has also commenced hosting themed events where students can meet like-minded individuals who share a passion for all things Italian.
Featuring special guests Franco Cozzo and singer Stephanie Angelini, the VITA Inaugural Carnevale Ball was a great success and signals a prosperous future for the association.
President of VITA, Joseph Xuereb, said the event drew a record number of 550 people to the San Remo Ballroom, surpassing the usual 300 for annual balls held between the clubs before they united to form an association.
“VITA brings together students who share a passion for Italy and Italian culture,” he said.
“There is a great sense of unity and goodwill between all the universities involved, and we’re really excited to see where the future of VITA leads us. First and foremost, our aim is to get more involved in the Victorian-Italian community and bridge that intergenerational gap that we face at the moment.”
VITA also plans to participate in networking and entrepreneurial-style events organised by the Australian Italian Leaders of Tomorrow (ALTO), an independent association that seeks to bring together the most talented young Italo-Australian professionals and the next generation of business and community leaders.
Though the association has no other events on the horizon in the near future, it's in the midst of planning an official launch evening to celebrate and promote the wonderful union of five of Victoria’s major universities.
To find out more about VITA, visit the association’s Facebook page.
