What I Did in Florence…

Being of Italian blood and having spoken the language in high school, I came to Stanford knowing I wanted to study abroad in Florence. More than anything, I sought to satisfy a perpetual wanderlust that countless travels had instilled in me. But it wasn’t until I embarked on my long-awaited study abroad journey that I realized Florence is more than a classroom, and certainly more than a travel destination. To study in Florence is to develop an entirely new way of living that penetrates every part of your being, forever changing who you are and how you approach the world. Read Alexis' profile »

I knew I wanted to study abroad long before attending Stanford. I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go, but looking back it is easy to see why I chose Florence as my destination; I grew up in a large family whose Italian roots showed mostly through loud conversation and lots of pasta. Studying Italian upon arrival at Stanford seemed like a natural way to connect with my heritage and learn more about where I come from, and studying in Florence even more so. I was determined to be abroad in Italy for two quarters so I could get the most out of my time there.Read Gianna's profile »

I first went to Florence during spring break of my senior year in high school. It was only one stop on a ten-day tour of Italy, but the two days I spent in Firenze were more than enough to get me hooked. It was during that break that I decided to enroll at Stanford, and soon after returning to the States I was thrilled to discover that Stanford had a campus in Florence. Thus, the choice to study abroad there was an easy one for me; I had been planning it since before freshman year! But I still could never have anticipated just how much my overseas experience in Florence would mean to me.Read full profile »

Before spending my 6 wonderful months in Florence, my biggest dream and goal - for as long as I can remember - was to have the opportunity to experience Italy and its culture firsthand. Year after year I dreamt of going to the 1-month long trip prepared by the Italian school I attended in Colombia for 10th grade. Unfortunately, I just missed the trip, as my family and I decided to move to America two years before it was going to finally be my turn to go with my school friends to what older generations called, “the trip of a lifetime.” At that moment, I thought I would never be able to have such an experience, but it was this thought itself that pushed me ahead to find my way to have my own “trip of a lifetime.” It was thanks to the Stanford abroad program that my dreams and goals were more than fulfilled, they were completely and unexpectedly surpassed, and that I did get my life-changing trip, and the best 6 months of my life. Read full profile »