Rainy Day in Florence
Author: Beth Kincannon | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Summer 2023
Summer of a lifetime, this was the phrase that my friends and I kept repeating, because that is exactly what the Cimba Italy Study Abroad Program provided us with. The summer after I graduated from high school, my family and I sent off my brother to study abroad for the summer in London. After seeing his experience, I knew I wanted to study abroad. I found out about Cimba though some of my older brother’s best friends. After seeing their posts and discussing the program with them, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. They had so much good to say about the program, and after attending myself, I can attest to everything they mentioned. Cimba is located in Paderno Del Grappa, a small town about an hour outside of Venice. Upon arrival on campus, we were immediately immersed within Italian culture, as the campus was apart of an Italian boarding school. As we were on their campus, we were able to interact with the Italian students. This was so much fun and provided us with the ability to interact with those from a different culture. In my career as a physical therapist, I know I will work with new people everyday. After interacting with the Italian students and locals of Paderno Del Grappa, I have a newfound confidence of interacting with people who speak a different language and live within a different culture. I know this experience will not only help me within my professional career, but also within my academic career. As a student, I will continue to have to form new relationships and work with others within my classes.
During my time at Cimba, I took two classes. The classes I took were Classical Mythology and Experiential Marketing: Topics in Event Planning. I cannot say enough good things about these classes and my instructors. Classical Mythology was a course that surprised me. Going into the class, I was not particularly excited, as I had not ever really been interested in mythology. This class exceeded my expectations beyond measure. We were able get through content of four mythology books, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Metamorphoses, and Aeneid. My instructor, Tara Welch, was amazing. In class, she allowed us as students to participate in class discussion and we were able to analyze the books and incorporate them into deeper meaning. When attending museums such as The Lourve and The Vatican I was able to relate the content we had learned to the sculptures and the paintings. It made my visits to these museums more interesting and fun. The other class I took was Experiential Marketing: Topics in Events Planning. This class was very interesting and a unique class for me, as I had never taken a marketing course before. My instructor, Tracy Hufford, administered group projects throughout the course. As a group, we planned an event for the brand Hoka. Our hypothetical “event” was a 5K that was held in Washington D.C.. At the end of the course, we were able to present our event to our classmates and receive feedback. It was very fun to plan the event and learn the marketing behind branded events. Tracy was an exceptional instructor and provided us with great knowledge. These classes differed from my courses at the University of Arkansas because of my specific major. As an Exercise Science major, I have mainly taken science courses. It was fun and unique to be able to learn about new topics that I would have not been able to learn about if it weren’t for Cimba and studying abroad.
A fun experience I had outside of class was the ability to meet and interact with a local business owner in the town of Asolo. On weeknights when we were available, we would taxi to this town and get dinner for the night. One of our favorite spots to stop for an appetizer before dinner was called Bar Al Municipio. At this small establishment, we were able to form a relationship with the owner. She spoke very little English, but we loved to interact with her and have small conversation with her. Towards the end of our program, we discovered that she had an Instagram for her small business. My friends and I followed her Instagram and began to interact with her posts. At our final time at her small café, we took a picture with her to remember our times at Bar Al Municipio. Although this was just something small, I believe it provides an example for our whole program and time in Italy. These small interactions and relationships are something my friends and I will remember forever.
After completing the Cimba Italy Study Abroad Program, I would recommend the program to anyone interested in studying abroad. The program duration is the perfect amount of time. It is at the beginning of the summer, so it allows for students to still get summer jobs and internships if they want. It is also in an amazing location, and the town of Paderno is truly so beautiful and unique. Something I wish I would’ve known beforehand is how laundry works. Our program had 318 students, and unfortunately there is only one washer, therefore, it was a little bit difficult to do laundry. Although, Cimba provided a service to do laundry and provided many resources. The Cimba staff was truly amazing. The first thing I am going to do when I return home is eat Chickfila. Throughout the school year, I eat lots of Chickfila, so not eating it has been strange. I have missed it! Overall, Cimba was the fastest and most amazing four weeks of my life. It provided me with memories I will never forget, and I am so grateful for the experience. I would recommend studying abroad to everyone, it is a life changing experience!