Katie has moved to Italy from the UK this year to work alongside international students in Turin.
She studied Creative and Professional Writing at Bangor University in Wales (2019-2022). For the past year she has been serving as a student worker with UCCF (British GBU) in Glasgow.
Sicilian by birth, but raised in Piedmont, Rocco graduated in Educational Sciences in Bergamo and then studied theology both in London and in the USA. Serving alongside other GBU students full of passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ – in Turin first and then in Bergamo – had a profound impact on his life.
After ten years abroad and working with other student ministries and as a pastor, Rocco returned to Italy also to serve in student ministry. He is deeply convinced of the strategic importance of the evangelistic and discipleship work among university students. His desire is that they may become faithful followers of Christ with a distinct evangelistic passion for the rest of their lives.
Rocco has been married to Madalina since 2011.
Manuel was born in 1999 in Rome. He came to know Christ as Savior and Lord at the age of 14, even though he was born and raised in an evangelical family.
He comes into contact with GBU in 2018 working as a GBU coordinator in the Tor Vergata University of Rome.
In 2020, he decided to abandon his studies in Civil Engineering to begin his studies at the Italian Evangelical Biblical Institute (IBEI), earning a Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a focus on Biblical Languages in 2023. His heart has always been sensitive to Mission, joyfully welcoming the opportunity to serve among university students, especially internationals in Rome.
He serves in the “Alpha Omega Christian Church” as the teenagers’ leader.
He loves reading, music, MARVEL superheroes, movies and TV series.
Valentina was born in Asti and from a young age begins to devote herself to three great passions: studying literature and history, singing, and reading the Bible. At the age of 14 she decides to follow Jesus and from that moment began a journey of growth and continuous discoveries that still fills her life.
A lover of Latin and ancient Greek, she studies Classical Literature at the University of Turin and in 2018 begins attending regular meetings of the GBU group in the same city. The GBU’s mission involves her more and more, until she works as the group’s coordinator between 2020 and 2021.
She receives her master’s degree in April 2022 and, in the same year, she also starts working as a teacher at secondary schools and gets married in July. Once she finishes her studies, however, she wants to continue her contribution in the GBU-she has learned so much through the GBU that she feels she wants to serve God in this area. She therefore decides to begin the path of staff in training in Turin.
In addition to her involvement with the GBU, Valentina is also involved in service at her home church, where she is in charge of leading worship and youth group. She also still cultivates her passion for singing by singing in a Christian-based gospel choir, the By faith.
Rebecca was born and raised in Naples in a Christian family, but decided to follow Jesus during her teenage years.
During her studies she worked with GBU in Naples, an experience that made her realize the importance and urgency of sharing the Gospel with other students. In 2022, she graduated in Specialist Translation and began working with GBU as Staff in training. Her desire is to encourage and help students to share Jesus
in the context in which God has placed them.
Since 2017, she has been working with the youth ministry of her local church
Jason and Hannah are Australians from the most remote city in the world; Perth (what most people call “the other side of Australia”). During high school Hannah did two exchanges to Italy, not knowing that God would later make use of these experiences. Both Jason & Hannah were part of Christian student groups like GBU while studying at university and found the experience transformative for their walk with Jesus. Both of them are convinced that sharing about Jesus at university is a great privilege!
They are in Florence serving university students. They aim to train, equip, and stand alongside Christian students as together we share the gospel on Italian university campuses. They long to see more Italians working together in the one Spirit to proclaim the gospel on campus and beyond.
They have three children: Elena (2018), Samuel (2020), and Miriam (2022).
Jason loves walking in nature, passing time with friends (including students!) and visiting the park with his children.
Hannah loves cooking, having guests, singing and creating with the kids.
Jason and Hannah are Australians from the most remote city in the world; Perth (what most people call “the other side of Australia”). During high school Hannah did two exchanges to Italy, not knowing that God would later make use of these experiences. Both Jason & Hannah were part of Christian student groups like GBU while studying at university and found the experience transformative for their walk with Jesus. Both of them are convinced that sharing about Jesus at university is a great privilege!
They are in Florence serving university students. They aim to train, equip, and stand alongside Christian students as together we share the gospel on Italian university campuses. They long to see more Italians working together in the one Spirit to proclaim the gospel on campus and beyond.
They have three children: Elena (2018), Samuel (2020), and Miriam (2022).
Jason loves walking in nature, passing time with friends (including students!) and visiting the park with his children.
Hannah loves cooking, having guests, singing and creating with the kids.
I am from America but I grew up and studied in an international school in the South of India.
I came to Torino over a year and a half ago to work with the international students as a part of GBU. Before coming to Italy I worked in student ministry for a year in Northern Ireland and prior to that I studied Criminology in Kent for 3 years.
I love reading and being outdoors.
Shanizee is Sicilian. She has always had the Mission at heart and that is why she has been in England for almost 3 years with the vision to equip herself for Christian service and then return to Italy as a missionary. During this time she collaborated for a period with Youth for Christ, studied theology at Moorlands College for a year and is currently the coordinator of the youth ministry in a Baptist church. In the meantime she is also committed to trying to make the British understand that putting pineapple on pizza is wrong, but it seems an impossible mission!
As a university student she has been involved in the GBU, first in Palermo as coordinator and then in Milan where, attending the master’s degree in Pedagogical Sciences, she led and coordinated the rebirth of the local group.
Being part of the GBU was one of the most formative experiences of her life that increased her passion to share Jesus with those around her.
Now her desire is to return to be part of this movement as Staff in Training in Siena, where she will also be involved with the local church in the youth ministry.
The plans are to return to Italy to work with GBU from September 1, 2021.
Alice was born in Perugia, where she lives for most of her life, except for a brief experience in Alicante, Spain, for her Erasmus program.
When she returnes to Italy she becomes passionate about missions and church planting, serving with the church Il Perugino.
In 2017 she marries Zach (NZ) and in 2018, after their wedding in New Zealand, they decide to return to Italy and move to Pisa, where they currently live. In this same year they are part of the church plant Chiesa La Torre, a small local community of young people and their current church.
After working alongside Zach (GBU staff worker) as a volunteer, she decides to committ officially in student ministry, trusting that the Gospel will powerfully change the lives of Italy’s next generations.
