Educated citizens are free citizens: because only those who know can decide, imagine and transform.

I grew up with a deep belief in the power of learning and knowledge, a passion passed on to me from an early age by my grandfather and my mother.

I have always found answers and refuge in books, but also new questions—the kind that push you to search beyond the page.

Printed words can become maps to help us navigate the world, but true teaching goes beyond subject matter: it’s about getting people to love knowledge in all its forms, whether it comes from books or from life itself.

Teaching means instilling in students the desire to observe, curiosity about what surrounds them and respect for the effort that accompanies every intellectual achievement.

The most valuable knowledge is not always found within the lines of a textbook; it often lies in travel, experience and the everyday discoveries that enrich us.

These very principles find concrete expression in the life of Emilia Filomena Petrucci Fields—educator, school leader, consultant and, today, an international point of reference in education and cultural inclusion.

Born in San Marco in Lamis, in the province of Foggia, Emilia left Italy in 1962 at the age of 12 to join her father in Australia.

The move was marked by sacrifice, but also by early determination. “I have to go to Dad, I have to study,” she kept telling her mother, who eventually agreed to leave.

Arriving in Melbourne meant being plunged into a completely new world, where everything had to be learned—starting with the language.

“On my first day of school the teacher asked me to read. I didn’t understand a word, but I tried anyway,” she recalled.

“All 50 students laughed, and I thought, ‘I’ll show you.’

“By the end of the year, I was top of the class, with 98 out of 100.”

That result was later adjusted “so as not to humiliate the failed Australian students”, as her teacher explained—ironically, an Italian herself.

From that moment on, Emilia’s path was set. After studying at Mary Immaculate Academy and winning a scholarship that opened the doors to Teachers College, she began her teaching career.

She remembers her first day in the classroom as a baptism of fire: 30 students and 20 trainee teachers observing her.

“I was nervous, but I remembered a promise I had made,” she shared. “When I was just five, I told my mother, ‘One day, I’ll be behind the teacher’s desk.’”

She taught Italian for six years, then at just 28 became principal of St Monica’s College. Her career continued to expand until she spent 20 years directing international programs, overseeing more than 250 agencies and partnerships across 42 countries.

She travelled extensively, built cultural bridges and promoted exchange and inclusion programs, eventually founding Fields International Education Consulting (FIEC)—a global education consultancy firm offering innovative strategies to schools and personalised support to students, families and educators.

“We need to listen to needs, assess what is required and act with compassion, care and vision,” says Emilia, adding that authentic leadership must be grounded in empathy and listening.

Tireless in her commitment, she works relentlessly to improve the quality of education and foster the holistic growth of individuals.

The principles guiding her work are simple yet profound: understanding human complexity, inspiring trust, nurturing curiosity and celebrating diversity.

“Success,” she says, “is learning every day, overcoming fear and standing up for what you believe in.”

Arriving in Australia as a child without knowing a word of English, Emilia transformed difficulty into extraordinary opportunity. “There is no such thing as failure,” she explains.

“Every step is a lesson that leads us towards a fuller life.”

Today, her achievements speak for themselves: numerous international awards, including Best New International Education Consultancy, International College of the Year–Australia and the Joseph Tulsiani Award.

But what she considers her greatest achievement is something else entirely: having taught at every level, from primary school to university, and in doing so developing a truly global vision of education.

Through FIEC, Emilia promotes programs that combine education, wellbeing and global citizenship.

She works to amplify student voices, strengthen intercultural dialogue and promote a vision of schooling capable of shaping free minds.

“My vision,” she reveals, “is to celebrate multiculturalism and global citizenship, because only by fully living our ‘global village’ can we build a more harmonious future.”

Recalling the early days in Australia, when she was mocked for her limited English, Emilia explains that she never gave up.

“I would stubbornly stand in front of the mirror, day and night, repeating the lesson, improving my pronunciation a little more each time. I kept telling myself, ‘I can do this.’”

And from those moments of determination comes a truth that still guides her today: “A teacher cannot teach if they don’t continue learning.”