I am currently studying abroad in Florence through the Global Business Institute program. I chose Florence because it is a small intimate city that is filled with so much culture. I wanted to be surrounded by history and art. I also thought it would be rewarding and exciting to take Italian, I really enjoy learning languages!  Studying abroad was always something I knew I wanted to do in college. I have always had a dream of living outside the United States, so studying abroad seems like a step towards that goal. I am so thankful to be here, immersed in another culture, and am excited to be able to travel to neighboring countries as well. 

My goal for this semester is staying openminded. I have never lived outside of America, so coming to Florence everything is new. I want to stay excited to learn and understand a different way of living. I think it will be very beneficial to me as a person but also professionally, to have this immersive experience. I want to be open to new ideas and gain cross cultural awareness. Another goal of mine is to be a valuable intern. Along with my academic classes, I am grateful enough to have an internship abroad. I am a marketing and sales intern for the company Tornabuoni Tuscany. Working with an international company has been a great experience so far (the photo of me is from my internship)! I hope to gain professional work experience and better my communication skills. 

At my school CAPA, I am enjoying all my classes. The environment is much smaller, being 1 building with only 9 classrooms, compared to Pitt’s entire campus. All my teachers are absolutely wonderful and care a great deal about what they are teaching and building relationships with the students. Apart from my internship and classes, my homelife is great. I am living with 7 other girls, half of us from Pitt and the other half from UMass and Lehigh. Our apartment is located 30 minutes from CAPA in a residential area. Even though I am much farther than most from the center of Florence, my apartment is stunning and well worth the walk. 

I have loved living here since day 1 and am so happy to be here! Ciao!