Grad profile: Cultivating connections from Italy to Canada

This article is part of a series focusing on the grads of the Dalhousie Class of 2024. Spring Convocation runs from May 21 to 31 in Halifax and Truro. Read all our profiles here in one place as they are published, and for more information visit the Convocation website.

When he was in Grade 12, Andrea Grigolon boarded a plane from Italy to Canada, expecting to spend a year abroad while improving his English. A few years later, he is not only fluent but excelling in the Canadian academic world.

Andrea is graduating from Dalhousie's Faculty of Agriculture with two degrees: a Bachelor of Agriculture in International Food Business from Dal and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Aeres University in the Netherlands. Both degrees were earned through the International Food Business program.

Across the Atlantic

When Andrea first moved from Vejano, a small Italian village, to rural Nova Scotia, he found warmth and hospitality in his host mom, who introduced him to the beauty of Canada.

“I lived with Donna Deyoung — she's 69 this year but she’s very youthful in spirit," he explains. "She’s always on the go. We’d always do something active together: take a trip to Halifax, go four-wheeling, ice fishing, hunting, and much more. She's very special to me, and her grandkids call me brother now. So that tells you a lot, right?”

Atlantic hospitality, opportunities for the new generation, and the natural environment impressed Andrea so much he decided to stay. Soon, he enrolled in the International Food Business program on Dal's Agricultural Campus, which was a perfect academic fit.

“The international experience of going to the Netherlands and getting two degrees was one of the main factors for choosing this program, as well as the chance of learning about entrepreneurship, food supply chain management, and the financial classes."

A family connection to farming

His involvement with his family's organic poultry farm also played a role in shaping his career path.

“I’ve always loved farming. I love the farming lifestyle and growing up I developed a very deep interest in understanding how the supply chain and value chain of food work.”

Andrea cherished the community fostered on campus in Truro. He loved being surrounded by individuals deeply interested in agriculture, and immersed in a network of like-minded peers.

He embraced the chance to learn something new every day and connected with experts in the food industry. One of the most impactful connections was Dr. Tasha Richard, his advanced entrepreneurship professor.

“I want to open my own business in the future, and that was the class that helped me the most to understand how to set an entrepreneurial mindset and how not to pivot at the first problem,” says Andrea.

Dr. Richard also supervised his fourth-year thesis “Nova Scotia consumers’ acceptance of the Mediterranean diet.”

“As soon as you meet Andrea, you know he is someone who is determined, earnest, driven, smart, and most importantly kind,” says Dr. Richard. “He has the ability to make his fellow classmates smile, and there is nothing he wouldn’t do to help either his peers or those in the community. I always knew when Andrea was in the class there would be a lot of great discussion and debate, and we would all be that much better for it. He is a bright light within the Dalhousie community.”

A global perspective

Andrea has represented his program at multiple conferences. In 2023, he spoke at the Food & Beverage Atlantic Conference, highlighting the evolution of food understanding, industry focuses, and celebrating industry achievements. In 2024, he took the stage at the ACORN conference, showing how his family's organic poultry operation in Italy addressed current agriculture challenges and provided an overview of the experiential learning opportunities at the Truro campus.

Throughout his studies, Andrea was supported by multiple scholarships and bursaries including an entrance scholarship. In 2023 he received the Rotary Club of Truro, International student bursary which provided him “with financial support, but has also served as a tremendous source of motivation and encouragement.” He was a Dean's List honoree every year he studied in Canada.

During Convocation, Andrea will receive the University Medal in International Food Business for achieving the highest GPA in his program, as well as the Dr. Gerry W. Friars Undergraduate Research Award.

Andrea enjoyed introducing Italian culture to his Canadian friends during the year in Europe and worked in Germany and Portugal for two summers. After graduation, he plans to return home to Italy, spend some time with his family and work with his dad. After this, he is planning on working in Europe for a year or two, and then he would like to open his own business.

“Thanks to the International Food Business program, I’ve met my girlfriend in the Netherlands. She's from Portugal, and our dream is to open our business together.”

When asked for advice for new students to the program, he says: “Keep an open mind, ask lots of questions... And yeah, just be willing to put everything you have in the program, and you'll get everything back with interest. You'll definitely love it.”