Traditional Dress in the Sahara Desert, Morocco
Author: Chris Incao | Major: Accounting & Information Systems | Semester: Summer 2025
Hi all! My name is Chris Incao, an upcoming junior in the Walton College at the University of Arkansas with majors in Accounting and Information Systems. For the past month, I have had the privilege of studying abroad in Bassano Del Grappa Italy, just outside of Venice, as a member of the CIMBA Italy study abroad program. It will be hard to put into words just how impactful this program was for me, and just how beautiful Italy is, but I’ll give it a shot.
I chose to study in Italy because of two reasons. First, I’ve heard countless fantastic things about the program. After talking to friends who made the trip last summer, it seemed like a no brainer, I knew that if I went abroad, it would be with CIMBA. Second, when I initially proposed studying abroad to my family, my dad mentioned that my great grandfather grew up and lived in Petralia Soprana, Sicily before coming to the United States. Studying in Bassano made it easy to visit Palermo, a larger city near Petralia, allowing me to see where one of my ancestors lived and connect with my roots.
Academically, CIMBA was incredible. I took Molly Rapert’s “Global Consumer” class and Professor Dobrzykowski’s “Introduction to Law” class. In both classes I was able to learn crucial business knowledge through an Italian and global lens. I took a trip to Hausbrandt Coffee company, a major producer of quality coffee in the Veneto region that supplies quality grounds all over the world. There, I toured their facilities, seeing their massive automated production roasting, grinding, and packaging processes. After, I learned about how they can maintain impeccable quality while producing on such a large scale, ensuring the consumer has the best experience with their product. Additionally, I visited La Ceramica, a fine ceramics producer who supplies to big markets like Dubai, South Korea, and the United States. There, I was able to contrast Hausebrandt’s large scale production with handmade, personal craftsmanship. La Ceramica creates every piece by hand yet still manages to move thousands of units across the world for impressive sales. Touring both companies allowed me to see how quality doesn’t need to be sacrificed, regardless of the production process.
Perhaps one of the best qualities of CIMBA is how much travel time you are given. With a thoughtfully created schedule, I was able to complete six credit hours while still traveling on long weekends all over the country. My favorite trip was to Marrakesh, Morocco. Morocco was certainly not a destination I had in mind when I took off for Italy, but it was the most impactful for sure. My group landed in Marrakesh and drove eight hours straight from the city center into the Sahara Desert for what would be one of the most unique experiences of my life. Riding camels, ATV’s, wearing traditional Berber dress, and dancing to new music were just a few of the activities I did during my short stay. The trip took my outside of my comfort zone. But one of my biggest takeaways from a month abroad is that the best experiences, successes, and lessons come from taking just one step outside of our familiar territory.
I would urge everyone to look into studying abroad. As an incoming freshman, I had no interest in studying in another country. After talking with professors, friends, and family, I was convinced to take the leap and am so glad I did. Study abroad opportunities provided by the University of Arkansas are truly once in a lifetime, and I feel so fortunate I have access to resources like the study abroad grand that make it possible. I would tell students looking to study abroad to say ‘yes’ to everything and lean into uncertainty to have the best experience. Be prepared for challenges, whether it’s a train worker strike on your first weekend or navigating the massive Rome airport, there will be difficulties along the way, but they’re all part of creating the best, most transformative experience in your life.