Hello! My name is Nicole Mbuthia and a junior with a double major in Supply Chain Management and Marketing. I am also pursuing a certificate in Public and Professional Writing. I am from East Stroudsburg which is located in the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania.  

On campus, I am currently involved in Alpha Kappa Psi, which is a coed business fraternity and Creators Collective. This summer I will be working at DHL as an Operations Intern in Philadelphia where I will be able to gain more knowledge and work with professionals in the industry.

I am a part of the Florence Global Business Institute! I chose this program because Florence is an absolutely beautiful city with so much history and culture that I am excited to see more of. I selected this program because I wanted the opportunity to learn in a different cultural setting and live in an environment that English was not the primary language to see how I will be able to navigate through it.

I have a few goals that I wish to accomplish with my time here in Florence: gain an understanding of the Italian culture from the food, cultural practices, and just daily routines that Italians follow. I also hope to gain basic conversational skills in Italian.

I go to the CAPA school which is a program that American students can participate in around the country. They are students here from schools such as University of Colorado Boulder, University of Massachusetts and many more.  I have three roommates: one from the University of Pittsburgh and two from UC Boulder. We are currently living in a very nice apartment just a few minutes away from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore! In the neighborhood that I live in, I am steps away from so many different restaurants, bars, historical attractions and so much more!

I am taking four classes and they all incorporate the city of Florence by either going on walking tours or going to museums! It is amazing to have the opportunity to learn about artwork or historical building and then get to see them in-person; it allows the ability to learn past just a textbook.

In the beginning, it was shocking to be in such a different environment, but now Florence is starting to feel like home. I have only been here for a short time but I am excited to see and learn more about Florence and its culture!