The Colosseum
Author: McKenna Baron | Semester: Summer 2023 | Majors: Marketing, Management
The CIMBA program was the perfect format for my study abroad desires. The ability to make the small town of Paderno Del Grappa my home for a month was a dream come true. We learned two subjects that were taught four days a week. Along with these classes came unique business tours of local Italian companies. These classes allowed us to explore outside of the classroom, which is different from most University of Arkansas classes. I chose to take Global Economics and Business, and Storytelling in Marketing. My Global Economics and Business class toured a Prosecco company called Progress. They allowed us to tour their Farmhouse B&B which guests can stay at, and their wine production facility. Progress is an organic vineyard that uses zero chemical additives in their wine and oil production. This interested me because I am always curious about what goes into food when it is being produced. The United States is known around the world to highly process food, so it was cool to see how another culture cares about what goes into their products. Another company we toured was the largest cheese manufacturer in Italy. We saw the process of how the cheese is aged and moved along in the process of being packaged and shipped. In my Storytelling in Marketing class, we dove deeper into the importance of using stories to convey messages to an audience or whoever you may be speaking to. We studied two books that gave us numerous examples of how brands came to be, and how storytelling was a key part in the brands success. At the end of the course, I gave a presentation about my dream internship. This allowed me to be creative and use the storytelling lessons I learned in class.
In the afternoon on Thursdays, all students would quickly pack up their bags and head off to a weekend destination. During this time, I traveled to Rome, Florence, Verona, and Venice, Italy. Rome was historical and altogether beautiful. The architecture was breathtaking, and I caught myself looking at every building and admiring their perfection. The Colosseum was beautiful in-person and at night. Golden lights shine in the arches of the building making it look even more elegant than in the daylight. Florence had the best tasting food in my opinion. We went to the famous sandwich shop, All’Antico Vinaio. It was very hectic there, but worth it. My friends and I watched the sunset on the Michelangelo steps the last night of our stay in Florence. It was a great way to commemorate the trip, and it was also our last travel weekend all together.
To future students who are thinking about studying abroad, do it. I met so many amazing people and created so many memories that I wouldn’t have been able to do in a normal class setting. Studying abroad also taught me a lot about myself. I had to overcome the challenges of figuring out the transportation system in a country I was unfamiliar with, and how to communicate with others when there was a language barrier. Before I went abroad, I wished I would have done some pre-travel planning on the places I wanted to go. It was sometimes stressful finding hotels at the last minute. Overall, CIMBA was a great program that allowed me to learn, grow, create new friendships, and create lasting memories. I am forever grateful I got the opportunity to study abroad with such amazing professors, friends, and CIMBA faculty.