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| Bree Barton |
 Home Institution: Amherst College Umbra Semester: Spring 2006, Summer 2006 Internship Currently: "Readjusting to life in America after living a charmed life in Perugia for six months. This fall I'll return to the Amherst campus to help with freshman orientation, and then I embark on senior year and my European Studies thesis, a project that will draw on my experiences in Italy over the last seven months. With less than a year until graduation day, I am also avidly preparing to confront the gaping void of post-college life. With any luck, Europe will most certainly factor into my future." Most Memorable Experience at Umbra: "At the beginning of the spring semester, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to pick up and go to southern Italy for a day. Within a 24-hour span, I dined by the ocean, befriended a group of international students, walked through the charming yet contradictory city of Naples, and spent an afternoon poking around sunny Pompeii. As I sat at the top of a Roman ampitheater almost two millenia old, I realized this was only the first of many great adventures: this was the beginning of the rest of my life." Advice for Future Students: "While the friendships you make with other Umbra students will undoubtedly be rewarding, challenge yourself to move beyond these to really immerse yourself in Italian life. Learn the language, eat the food, meet the people. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my time at Umbra was that I was competent enough to venture out on my own, and when I did, it was always worth it. If you make the most of your semester abroad, you'll have more than just facebook albums to show for it: you'll come back with a wealth of new experiences and discoveries that will continue to shape both you and your future." Read more about Bree's memorable experience on the Umbra Blog: "Cheese, Wine, and Clarity" Contact Bree with questions about her Umbra experience: bbarton@amherst.edu |
| Mary Remy Shu |
 Home Institution: Elon University Umbra Semester: Fall 2005 Currently: "I am entering my senior year at Elon, studying corporate communications. This summer I am serving as an intern for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I work closely with the Corporate Fundraising and Event Planning departments of the Foundation. And, as always, I am trying to find a way to return to Italy very soon!" Most Memorable Experience at Umbra: "It's difficult to pick only one experience, but I particularly enjoyed visiting Cantina Goretti, a vineyard just outside the city of Perugia. We toured the vineyard and the winery and then had a tasting with the owners of the vineyard. It was a chance to learn more about the local wines grown in the hills around Perugia and a chance to see more of the Umbrian countryside." Advice for Future Students: "Take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way. Do not be afraid to try something new because the memories you will make from those experiences is what will make your time abroad the most rewarding. And, of course, get to know the locals because they will truly enhance the experience you have in Perugia." Contact Remy with questions about her Umbra experience: mshu@elon.edu |
| Tyler Pace |
 Home Institution: Connecticut College Currently: "I am a double major in History and Italian Studies at Connecticut College. With less than a year before graduation, I am already searching for a ticket to Rome! I would love to go to graduate school in Italy, become a teacher, and naturally have a villa in Tuscany. If any one of these three options work out, I'll count myself fortunate. I am also currently trying to work through Dante's Inferno in original text." Most Memorable Experience at Umbra: "I went to Cinque Terre one of the first weekends I was in Italy. Literally, it means the "five towns", which sounds boring, but i can assure you that it was anything but. It was by far the most beautiful place I had ever seen - five tiny towns that are carved and tucked into towering mountains overlooking the sea. We spent a day hiking between each town, but to be honest, my most memorable experience in italy wasn't the views or the five towns, it was the trip getting there. I took a train with a couple friends, made a connection in Pisa, and before i knew it was hailing a taxi at midnight driven by a homely Italian man who lectured us about the best cheeses to buy in italy, and also how A.S. Roma would win the Series A title despite everyone's doubts. I actually think, no I'm sure that he took the longer route just so he could recount his favorite goal from that week. And eventhough recounting Toti's goal required the constant removal of his hands from the steering wheel, I couldn't help but laugh the whole time it was happening. It was my first taste of Italian passion, and that's something I'll never forget." Advice for Future Students: "It's important to spend as much time as you can speaking Italian. The classroom, frankly, is not the place you'll become fluent. It's amazing how open an Italian will be if you just say "ciao." Talk to someone at a caffe or just ask someone where they're from. The great thing about Perugia is that it's a student town, with people our age coming from every part of the globe - it would be a shame not to take advantage of such amazing cultural exposure. Contact |
 
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