A following is series of quotes from recent SAI Alumni sharing their transformative study abroad experience.

Rome students visit the Ostia Antica archeological site

Favorite Part of Your Study Abroad Experience

Katie Carillo – Clemson – Florence University of the Arts

My favorite part about my study abroad experience was definitely all the travel. It’s kind of expensive getting to Europe, but once you’re already there, the possibilities are endless. I got a flight from Florence to Paris for, I think, under $100. It was crazy how easy it was to travel, so it was very great.

Allyson Haney – University of South Carolina – Florence University of the Arts

My favorite part about my study abroad experience was that I got to push myself out of my comfort zone. I stayed close to home for college and really wanted to have a new adventure. Exposing myself to new languages and cultures was a really fun experience for me.

Elizabeth Rodski – Belmont – John Cabot University, Rome  

My favorite part about my study abroad experience was feeling like I actually lived there, rather than only visiting for a short amount of time. I got to truly feel like I was a resident in Rome, and I was doing daily tasks in the city where I thought I would never be able to live in.

ELISAVA student, Jed, shows off one of his projects in the Final Exhibition of the term

Favorite Courses

Brett Eppinger – University of South Carolina – Florence University of the Arts

I did a Tuscan wine glass that allowed me to learn how to do tasting notes and for the Tuscan wine specifically. Then I did two fashion courses. I did a walking course, which kind of showed me the really important kind of historic parts of the fashion world of Florence, Italy. And then I took a fashion design class where I actually got to not only learn how to, like, make clothing, but actually physically stitch everything by hand, learning how to surf the materials.

Somkar Dey – College of William and Mary – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

I took a variety of business and operational courses. So one was marketing. One was in finance. One was about career development and there was another about general business. I found it to be incredibly captivating on how much we use case studies and field work. We went around the city on field trips to explore different businesses, understand how they work, looked into different local companies to promote them in the states, and really understand how different cultures can affect business in every way.

Collin Cates – University of Tennessee Knoxville – John Cabot University, Rome

I took an international negotiations course, which was incredible. It was one of the first classes I’ve had in college, and all that allows you to have constant simulations with negotiations and to get real feedback in real time.

Students in Florence learning about leather during the Circular Economy Viva Experience

Viva Experience

Nicole Bartnikowski – The New School – Paris College of Art

My favorite Viva experience was definitely when we went to Chateau de Chantilly, and we made the cream Chantilly. It was so amazing. And we also had like a four course meal on top of it at the chateau, which was so cool. I honestly would go back and go maybe ride horses there if I ever go back. 

Brett Eppinger – University of South Carolina – Florence University of the Arts

My favorite experience has been the circular economy. It pretty much consisted of us going to an organic mushroom farm where they kind of showed us how they grew all of the mushrooms and different types of mushrooms. It was really cool. And then the second part of that trip, we actually got to use recycled, high end leather and make our own belts.

Written by: Ralph, SAI Academic Relations Manager