Author: Claudia Calderon Cruz | Major: Criminology | Semester: Summer 2025

Photo at Villa Borghese Park

Program: U of A Rome Center: Italy and the Transatlantic World in a Global Perspective

I studied at the Rome Center in Italy for the summer. I always loved Italy since I was younger. I have always been drawn to the art and the ruins in Italy. One of my goals in life was to visit the Sistine Chapel, to see the famous painting by Michelangelo. The richness of the art everywhere was what called me to Italy. I was there for 35 days. In those 35 days I learned so much about myself and I gained more of a world view. During my time in Italy, I visited the museums I would see online. When I saw some of the pieces I had longed to see in person, I was star struck. I could not believe how beautiful the art truly was, and no picture could do any justice to it. I took classes regarding the history of Italy all the way to the present. I also took another class that talked about the transatlantic relationship Italy had globally. The moments that stood out during my trip was when we saw historic monuments that corresponded with our lecture. One of the examples, is going to the Jewish Ghetto. It is so different than just reading about it but seeing all the history left behind that still impacts everyone today. The tour guide in the Jewish Ghetto told us a touching story of when the Germans came into Italy and started deporting the Jews. There was one story, where a boy was able to escape the custody of the Germans before arriving at the concentration camps. He survived but still had a little bit of hope his family members would come back to their old house. He still lives in the Jewish Ghetto until this day telling his story to others. We saw the events we learned in the classroom come to life during the excursions. What surprised me the most about my study abroad experience is how overwhelming it can be at times. I was told by other people it would be such a different experience than what I am used to, but I do not think anyone is ever prepared for the extent. There are many sides to experiencing a different culture. It can be so exciting to see how different everything is and be absorbing every little interaction just to learn more. It can be addicting because one is taken out of the bubble in which they live in. Your perspectives change with each day. Yet, there can be times where all we crave is familiarity, even in the little things. I experienced some anxiety at times trying to navigate a city I had never been in before, much less knew the language of. There were times I missed home because it was the only thing I was super familiar with. However, these feelings pushed me out of my comfortzone and allowed me to grow as a person. It pushed me to gain new skills and become ok with not always knowing everything. To be loose and take everything in as a learning experience