IB alumna Marina Catena is director of the World Food Programme for France and the Principality of Monaco.
Marina’s work on humanitarian causes was inspired by the IB’s emphasis on service and community. A child who loved to study, Marina grew up in the Italian region of Abruzzo and attended the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, before pursuing a degree in international relationsPolitical Sciences at Libera Universita Internazionale di Studi Sociali (LUISS) in Rome, on a full scholarship. While at university, Marina become one of the first Italians to participate in the Erasmus programme, kick starting her career across Europe. She joined the European Commission in 1992 before working for the UN, the Italian armed forces and the World Food Programme. Marina says her experience at UWC Adriatic and the IB’s focus on social service changed her life, inspiring her to pursue a career in humanitarian work. “While you may only be 15 and enjoying life, you also have to give back to people,” she says. “And this is one of the incredible ways that the IB is structured.”
