Author; Harper Garrett | Major: Accounting | Semester: Summer 2025

Exploring Florence, Italy, on our first travel weekend!

This summer, I studied abroad in Paderno del Grappa Italy, a small town about an hour outside of Venice. Coming into college, I had a strong desire to study abroad at some point in my experience, but I felt conflicted- I knew a semester-length program wasn’t for me, and some of the full summer length programs did not quite align with my goals. Then, through some of my Walton Honors Peer Mentor friends, I heard about the CIMBA program- and everything changed! The program is only four weeks long, starting in the middle of May, and is a primarily business major-focused program run by the University of Iowa. Italy has always been a dream of mine to visit, and classes being located in a small town with a genuine campus feel was something very important to me. I spoke with alumni of the program and every word they shared was positive- they raved not only about the classes and professors, but the on-campus experience of bonding with your classmates, and it sounded like the perfect fit for me! I would be able to earn six hours of credit and travel on the weekends while still being able to return home for the summer to work.

I took six credit hours while in Italy- Global Consumer with Molly Rapert and Global  Economics with Eric Olson. I cannot recommend these professors enough- they are so incredibly knowledgeable and made class so engaging, and I cannot believe how much I was able to learn in just four short weeks! We had deep discussions over course content, hosted incredible guest speakers, and formed such a community as a class. Not only did we have great in-class experiences, but we were also to utilize our unique campus location to explore the local economy/community. We were able to tour local businesses: from a small, family-owned, hand-painted pottery company to a large-scale, multi-national, highly industrialized coffee roastery and brewery. We also toured a large winery with a massive global reach, and got to make pizzas at a local restaurant and experience the authentic process and craft a perfect Italian pizza entails.But most importantly, no matter where we toured, there were a few characteristics that were shared by all- passion, history, hard work and pride. Each business owner/employee was so overjoyed to walk us through their processes, and each has such a rich history with decades to centuries of dedication. Italians hold such pride in their craft and it is exemplified through every step of their business process. This aspect of my study abroad experience consistently stood out to me and differentiated my time with that on a large city campus- we were able to take the time to slow down and hear the stories of locals, something that helped me feel so connected to my temporary home. It also gave me great experience and exposure to bring back to the classroom in Arkansas. I was fortunate enough to have three long weekends to be able to travel during my time abroad. I was able to visit Florence, Italy, Pula, Croatia, and my personal favorite, Paris, France! Undoubtedly, these weekends were incredible- it was so fun to explore the streets of Florence, swim in the Adriatic Sea in Pula, and explore the history in Paris. Yet, some of my favorite moments ended up being the small ones- successfully navigating a sudden Italian train strike, running from a McDonald’s to catch our train, or cracking jokes on long walks between monuments. While the destinations were nothing short of incredible, the bonds I was able to form with my classmates were what solidified my experience as life-changing. My friends enabled me to grow and find a lesson in every moment, all while exploring the world together. One thing that surprised me the most about my study abroad experience was how much I was able to learn about myself and my goals in life. My four weeks were such a transformative experience that will shape the rest of my collegiate and professional career. I am feeling so grateful that I had the opportunity to live this amazing experience, learn from both inside and outside the classroom, and create lifelong friendships and memories. I absolutely recommend this experience to anyone even slightly interested- it will be your best decision yet!