Summer of 2018 - The best one yet

The day after my convocation, I took a flight from St. John’s to Bologna to take on the greatest summer of my life. I was trained to become an English tutor in Rimini, which gave me the push that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and meet so many amazing people, with lots of admirable skills. During the orientation week, I had the opportunity to learn so many amazing songs and interactive ways to teach English in a fun but also professional way. Even though the orientation week involved a lot of training, time flew by because everyone was so engaged and eager to participate. Once we were done training, we had the opportunity to have time to explore Rimini, which was amazing because the beach was only a few walks away from the hotel. The orientation week was definitely one of the many things I loved about EDUCO, because I got to meet so many wonderful people that to this day I keep in touch with and consider them very close friends.

Once we had to leave Rimini and go to our designed locations, travelling by train and bus was such a thrill because I had the sensation of “travelling like a local” with the help of EDUCO already organizing everything before hand. The best part about this transfer is that for the most time, you had a buddy that was going to the same camp from orientation so the experience could be shared and also for those being scared of getting lost, this was a huge ice breaker to get out of your comfort zone. Aside from travelling, like a local, there was a warm and friendly Italian family ready to welcome you to their home and make sure you have one of the best meals and experiences of your life.

For those that are not professional teachers like myself and have graduated with a degree, in business, it is such a great experience because my first day of school was definitely one for the books and made me realize how much I enjoyed planning my lessons, singing songs, playing games and being able to inspire young Italian children to learn more about the global language, which is English. The camp directors and helpers were all so friendly at every different school that I had the opportunity to go to. I went to Bergamo and Varallo - Sesia, the north side of Italy, and to this day I keep in contact with my Italian host families because they have become a family to me for now and always. I honestly felt so blessed to have been able to taste local dishes prepared by my host family, get to learn a little bit of Italian and explore the local places that, as a tourist, I would of never had the chance to see.

I would definitely recommend being involved in the EDUCO family because it gives you a sense of joy, experience, adventure and friendships that will last a lifetime. Being a tutor for the summer was definitely one of the highlights and something I wish I could of done while I was in my bachelors so I could spend every summer getting to know more people and visiting new local places that Italy has to offer. Now, I only encourage everyone to apply and take advantage of the benefits that the EDUCO team provides many that are passionate on exploring Italy but at the same time contributing to society and doing something that you will be proud for days to come.