Author: Keelie Dwyer | Major: Marketing and Accounting | Semester: Summer 2025

Sunset kayaking in Pula, Croatia

This past month, I studied abroad in a small town in northern Italy called Paderno del Grappa with the CIMBA program. The CIMBA summer program is four weeks long and students are enrolled in two courses. I was lucky enough to take two amazing marketing courses, both with University of Arkansas professors: International Marketing with Sarah Grace and The Global Consumer with Molly Rapert. I first heard about this program from a class presentation in my Freshman Business Connections course and was immediately intrigued. Personally, I think the shorter length of this program was perfect for me because an entire semester away felt too long, but I was still able to immerse myself in a new environment and adjust to new cultures. I especially liked this program because I was able to be a part of small town life during the week, but then explore other cities on weekends. One of my favorite parts from CIMBA was the campus. It was calm, quiet, and had a beautiful mountain view which allowed me to spend more time outdoors appreciating the incredible opportunity I was a part of.

It may seem surprising to some, but one of the parts I enjoyed most about studying abroad was my classes! It’s tough to condense two semester-long classes into four weeks, but the interesting topics and the support of my professors made it much more manageable. Both of my professors are extremely insightful and genuinely care about their students learning from real life experiences. My classes included weekly field trips to local Italian businesses and production factories. Being able to tour coffee, prosecco, and ceramic production sites gave me experience unlike any I’ve had at the University of Arkansas. Learning about these businesses from a global marketing perspective helped me understand how businesses operate around the world, and now I can apply this understanding to future classes and projects. I saw businesses of varying sizes, both small scale and completely industrialized. One company I toured, La Ceramica, is a family-run ceramic company with around 15 employees. Most of these employees are family members who bike to work every day and create ceramic products by hand. In contrast, I also toured Hausbrandt, a large industrial-scale coffee production company. Both companies offered valuable insights about their areas of expertise, and both emphasized their commitment to providing quality and value to customers

My favorite, but most unexpected, weekend trip I took was to Ljubljana, Slovenia. The decision to go to Ljubljana was very last-minute, and I went into the trip not knowing anything about the city or having any expectations. But maybe that’s the reason I ended up enjoying it so much! If someone were to ask me for a recommendation of where to travel during study abroad, Slovenia would be at the top of my list. My friends and I explored Lake Bled for one of the days, and we went tobogganing down a mountain and explored a castle. Ljubljana also has a Saturday morning market that’s great for shopping and interacting with locals. Even though Paderno del Grappa is a small town, there were still a few places I visited regularly over the last four weeks. The first was the Tabacchi (convenience store) located right across the street from campus. I found myself there pretty frequently to buy my favorite flavor of Red Bull or some snacks to help me get through the day. Even though it seems like just a convenience store, the availability of these snacks and other goods helped me feel a little closer to home. Another place I enjoyed going to was the coffee and pastry shop located near campus. It was always a welcoming and quiet place for me to get some homework done while having a cappuccino and tiramisu! I think it’s important to find places like these while studying abroad to create a sense of normality, routine, and belonging in a new area.

I am extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity to study abroad, and it is something I will never forget. I have made many lasting memories and friendships, but I have also gained valuable marketing experience that I can apply to future internships and jobs.