Six professors, twenty-nine students, fifteen days, six cities, nine universities, over a thousand kilometers traveled in vans, and a personal encounter with law, history, culture, and others. A trip that was both formal and relaxed, with a suit and sneakers, and lots of walking!
A before and after. That's how emphatically students and professors from the Law School describe their trip to the United States, which they took at the end of May and beginning of June. A unique experience that, the students say, has become a watershed moment for them. The metaphor of the journey, so often used in world literature, was embodied and bore fruit in each and every one of them: a journey toward self-challenge, toward the search, the discovery, the finding of courage as a compass, the clarity of the goal… Weighing anchor, unfurling the sails, and setting out to sea, enjoying the time it takes to achieve it.
“The intention was multifaceted,” says Professor Franco Melchiori, “to offer students a comprehensive education in a short time, one that broadens their horizons and raises their aspirations. To help them discover new academic and professional possibilities, and understand what it takes to grow and aspire to new opportunities.”
They departed from Buenos Aires bound for the East Coast of the United States, with two distinct stages: the first, academic, in the In Altum ProgramWith classes, debates, and political and cultural visits, a program aimed at students from different countries gathered on the campus of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. The second: the experience of the trip, of getting to know some of the most prestigious universities in the world, of meeting with their directors, professors, and students, of having in-depth dialogues during long hours of walking, of witnessing difficulties and achievements, and of recognizing themselves in that new perspective that they were building step by step.
In addition to Melchiori, those on the journey included professors Fernando Toller (Director of the Law program), Ignacio de Casas (Academic Secretary of the Faculty), Paz Miatello (Director of Studies), Jimena López Montes (Executive Coordinator of the Law program), and Chaplain Santiago Caucino. The students who participated were from first to fifth year of the Law program, from both campuses in Buenos Aires and Pilar.
In a suit…: In Altum
Six intensive days living on a 70-hectare university campus, with activities and conferences on leadership, new technologies, and diverse topics in culture, economics, philosophy, international relations, law… That was the In Altum Program, which brought together 70 young people from 20 countries in Washington, D.C., from Spain to Ecuador and from the United States to Kenya. It also included city tours, visits to the Capitol, and… think tanksThe program included visits to various museums and informal social gatherings. Participants also toured the law schools at Georgetown University and Catholic University, gaining firsthand insight into the life and studies of law students in the United States. The goal was to combine education and experience, providing young people with a solid intellectual, cultural, and ethical foundation to bolster their aspirations to assume responsible and committed leadership roles in the future.
“We shared breakfasts in the university dining halls, where words floated among the echoes of English, Spanish, and other languages, each with its own distinct intonation,” says Benjamín Olivera, one of the travelers, from San Juan and a fifth-year law student. He adds, “We attended Mass at the largest basilica in the United States, located in the middle of the campus, where silence spoke louder than words and faith served as a bridge between cultures.”
…and sneakers: walking, meeting, sharing
After the program in Washington, the second stage of the trip began: a week-long academic, historical, political, and legal tour through Philadelphia, Princeton, New York, New Haven, and Boston. Traveling in vans or on foot, they engaged in extended conversations about concerns, dreams, struggles, and projects as they visited the Universities of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia, Fordham, Yale, Boston, and Harvard. They interacted with local professors and lawyers and explored the university campuses in general—libraries, academic buildings, art spaces, dormitories, and athletic facilities—and the law schools in particular. There, they heard directly from faculty members about each school's academic offerings and the criteria they look for when selecting and accepting international law students. They learned how to apply and, at Harvard, had an exclusive session for an in-depth conversation with the renowned Professor Adrian Vermeule. In each city, they received the same feedback from American professors and administrators: astonishment at the dedication of the Universidad Austral to this trip, which they described as "differential", and the assertion that "we do not know of any other university that does something similar for its students".
They also had the opportunity to experience firsthand the places that shaped the origins of constitutionalism and American history, visiting the Jefferson, Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Memorials in Washington, D.C., as well as the Supreme Court's sitting chamber in the Capitol basement, and Independence Hall and Congress Hall in Philadelphia—places where Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were born. They witnessed the world's current engagement with international events as they toured the United Nations headquarters in New York and visited the Argentine Mission to the UN, meeting with its Legal Counsel. They visited one of New York's largest law firms, where an Austral University graduate, Lucas Giardelli, leads the international team in his area. They participated in case-method sessions with professors from Boston University School of Law and marveled at Harvard Law School's largest law library in the world. And they were able to experience lasting moments, such as playing a pickup game of American football at Princeton Stadium, reciting poetry among the Gothic buildings of the University Campus, having fun on nighttime rides in a van through New York and watching the sunset together at the sea in Madison Beach, Connecticut.
They were filled with ideas, able to answer some questions and explore new ones, experience American university life, and glimpse what the not-too-distant future might hold, studying or working abroad. As Seneca said in his Letters to Lucilius, “No wind is favorable to the ship that does not know where it is going.” It is necessary to know the course, to have clarity of purpose, to set a direction, to reflect… Thus, the journey involves adventure but also time for inner transformation..
“This trip was born from the desire to convey to the students in 15 days what took us teachers more than 15 years to learn,” says Fernando Toller, alma mater of the trip, and who already organized a similar one in May 2023 in the United States, and two more in Europe, in April 2024 and February 2025. “These trips have been an opportunity for discovery, transformation, and enormous growth. That is why we wanted to show them the prestigious universities of the Ivy League"To visit leading places in the world of Law, adding poetry, sports, debates, analysis... Sharing values and enjoying it together."
A turning point
“Exciting, intense, rewarding, unforgettable: that’s how the trip was,” says Agostina Monticelli, a third-year student from Junín. “I saw immense love in each of the people I traveled with, and that’s the best part of this experience. I learned that with effort, I can one day be in one of those places we visited. I came to appreciate our Faculty even more, where I feel like I’m part of a big family.”
“We had historical, political, and cultural visits, in-depth talks with experts on various topics, moments of reflection, and the opportunity to express our deepest thoughts and feelings,” says Francisco González Thomas, a second-year student from San Luis. “It was a space for growth in all aspects of life. A turning point. It made us love what we study even more, love the university we're at even more, and love each other more. It was an incentive to aspire to change the world, grow in wisdom, and serve our country.”
“At Boston University, they challenged us with a case they had designed. We not only solved it perfectly, but the professors congratulated us,” says Antonia Churruarín, a second-year student from Paraná. “At Harvard, the conversation with Professor Adrian Vermeule was impactful. Being able to ask him in-depth questions and realizing that we were prepared for that one-on-one with him thanks to the foundation we gained at our university was incredible. I've come away with many challenges for the future and a change of perspective that will help me for the rest of my career. The trip demonstrates the constant commitment of our professors and administrators to help us on this path so that we can become outstanding professionals.”
Among the new skills and perspectives they bring back is a growth in their university spirit, with a deeper commitment to study and reading, says Jimena López Montes. “It was very rewarding to see our students interact with experts and professors from other universities. We all came back better,” she emphasizes.
“The conversations with the professors allowed us to dream big,” says Lucas Czerwonko, also a second-year student. “The visit to a law firm in New York where an Austral graduate works was one of the most motivating experiences of the trip, because it made us realize that one of us, with the same opportunities, the same professors, and the same courses, was able to study at Harvard and then work at one of the largest firms in the city, with a presence in almost 30 countries. I also grew personally and spiritually. At the best universities in the world, I was able to see firsthand the excellent academic level of our University. Austral combines the best of both worlds: Anglo-Saxon legal practice and case method, with a solid foundation of European-style theoretical study. This showed me the privilege of studying here.”
To find inspiration again
The experience was also transformative for the teachers, allowing them to reaffirm the path they had chosen. Universidad Australwhich has led it to rank highly among the best law schools in the world. “It is worthwhile to dedicate time and effort to these kinds of experiences, with such a strong impact on the lives of our students,” says Paz Miatello. “A space to return to that one-on-one interaction where the magic happens. To sow seeds in minds and hearts so that the fruit may germinate in due time.”
Jimena López Montes emphasizes that “academic contacts allow us to solidify the University's projection abroad and advance in the strategic objective of internationalization, including possibilities of double degrees.”
The trip also instilled in the students one of the values central to the University's mission: prioritizing holistic growth with a fraternal spirit, far removed from competitive approaches that prioritize individual success above all else. Father Santiago Caucino reaffirms this: “Our Law School encourages students to consider their professional development through mutual support, not isolation. We don't just aim to produce legal professionals, but individuals with a comprehensive understanding of their own lives and society.”
“It was all very intense and even exhausting,” says Ignacio de Casas. “Like everything that’s worthwhile. The Faculty provides professors and time for this trip, which reflects in a small way what this University aspires to be (as Alfonso X the Wise and Newman taught): coexistence, bringing together teachers and students, professors and students.” And he reflects: “Shortly after returning, I remembered something I read some time ago that immediately made me think of the kids we traveled with:They were then at the perfect age for fear and wonder… Things unfolded… They didn't know they were already creating the memories of later, the ones that are now summoned without much digging to retrieve them'In various conversations, we were able to talk about their fear of what will come after their years of study, the vertigo they felt at the possibilities, their anxiety. I want to tell them not to worry, to enjoy themselves, and to keep relying on their professors, because we are here for them.'
Lasting bonds
Building connections in an atmosphere of camaraderie, mutual support, and trust was another important benefit of the trip. Something that later carried over into university life.
“On this trip, I found a profound experience of that 'Southern community' that we try to build day by day, accompanying others in the different stages of life and marveling at the treasure hidden in each one,” says Miatello.
Valentina Ventura, a fourth-year student, highlights the opportunity to “meet young people from different parts of the world—Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Kenya, and more—and learn about their cultures and ways of thinking. We'll explore places, admire spectacular architecture, visit the UN… and realize that…” Universidad Austral It's a place that constantly teaches values we share, and that we're a team that aspires to the best, both professionally and personally. Now I'm approaching my studies from a different perspective. I feel more confident. The trip is a clear example of the dedication and professionalism with which the Law program is managed and organized at the University.”
Even the Rocky stairs were part of the experience, emphasizes Lucía Sacchero, a first-year student. “We experienced a great deal of cultural and historical learning, and the opportunity to visit places that are incredibly significant for our future profession,” says Lucía. “I came back with so many things to apply in everyday life. I found genuine friendship and openness among my classmates and professors. I know I can count on my professors for anything I need, and I see all that I can learn from them.”
The trip “was an experience with many situations ichi-go ichi-e", Fernando Toller summarizes, using the Japanese expression that can be translated as "one life, one moment", a unique experience of meeting people, which in those circumstances, happens only once and, precisely for that reason, must be taken advantage of and treasured.
For Benjamín Olivera, who is about to finish his law degree, the trip reaffirmed his vocation to work to change the reality of Argentina and reignited the spark of pursuing his dreams. “It was a journey of the soul, an itinerary traced between the coordinates of knowledge and emotion. We traveled through the United States, but in truth, we were traveling inward, introspecting on ourselves. Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Boston weren't just cities: they were mirrors where we saw reflected the future we dream of building as legal professionals graduating from the Universidad AustralEach step was a page written in the logbook of our convictions, filled with memories that will shape our future years—part of a learning process that defies manuals and programs, and isn't taught in classrooms, yet returns us transformed when we go back. A journey to the very essence of each person with whom we shared it. We left as university classmates and returned as brothers and sisters on this journey.
