Author: Ava Ludwig | Majors: Finance and Marketing | Semester: Summer 2024

Picture in Bassano

I studied abroad with the CIMBA program in Paderno del Grappa, Italy over the summer term of 2024. I have always been interested in visiting Italy but didn’t know where to start. I found out about the CIMBA program and realized it was the perfect mix of small town living while also offering the ability to hop on a train to visit big cities like Florence and Rome on the weekends. Paderno del Grappa is a small town outside of Venice that is the epitome of peace and quiet. Seeing the local businesses and the passion their owners pour into them made me feel the sense of community that is so special to this Italian town. Over the short four weeks, I truly felt immersed in the Italian culture that emphasizes the importance of family, friends and food.
During my time abroad, I was able to take the courses of International Marketing and Global Consumer. I couldn’t be more thankful to have the opportunity to study these while living in Italy because they offered me the ability to learn about how cultures differ around the world, and then I was able to step outside and experience it for myself. CIMBA is located on a campus that also is a school for preschoolers all the way to highschoolers. Seeing the different age groups interact with each other and ourselves was so authentic and rewarding. In International marketing, we created a Global Marketing Plan where we had to take an American business and create a plan to expand it internationally, specifically Italy. This was a very useful project to partake in while abroad because we were surrounded by Italian small business owners that showed us what Italian consumers look for in brands and marketing and then we applied that to our own studies. In Global Consumer, we learned about the differing government and power styles of countries including China and Africa. We were able to compare the economies of these countries to that of the United States and how their influence is likely to affect the world in the near future. This class was one of the most impactful courses I have ever been in because it taught me about the world internationally instead of solely focusing on how things are done in America. During this class, we also took field trips to several small businesses.

One of my favorite trips was to a ceramics factory called La Ceramica. We got to see how every piece of art
was hand crafted and intricately designed. We visited many different places in Italy, but my favorite had to be Venice. Venice is the definition of breathtaking, with its beautiful views of the water and vibrant buildings and bridges. We were able to take a gondola ride around Venice and learn about the culture and history of some of the buildings. This trip to Venice really stood out to me because we traveled there on the very last weekend of our time abroad. I remember feeling so at peace riding on the gondola and feeling so thankful that I was granted with the opportunity to travel abroad.

One lesson I learned during my time abroad was to be present in the moment. I often get caught up in a daily routine in which my focus is on what’s next on my to-do list rather than enjoying my day-to-day happenings. While abroad, I was immersed in the slow-paced Italian culture and realized my focus needs to be on enjoying the present every day. Life is so short, and I believe that everyday should be lived to the fullest.