The Best 4 Months of My Life

The CEA program helped to make my study abroad experience as positive as it was. I had never been out of the United States before in my life, and the CEA staff helped me to transition into the Florence living as easily as possible.

The classes were not the regular business classes I was used to taking back at Penn State, but that is why they were so interesting. The classes helped immerse me into the amazing culture that was surrounding me, and the topics taught were very captivating. For example, the Fashion Marketing class taught me insights into the marketing world that I never would have known otherwise, all while being able to take included field trips to places such as Luisa via Roma, Miu Miu, and the Gucci Museum. My Italian teacher, Martina, was there to help with whatever I needed, while making it fun to learn Italian with songs (that I still sing to this day), and took her classes on field trips to local artisans and the market for practice.

The CEA staff is not only concerned about your safety and learning, but they also make sure the experience is fun and memorable. With provided trips to multiple cities around Italy, delicious traditional meals, welcoming lunches and goodbye dinners, we knew we were lucky to have chosen CEA. I made lifelong friends with people from schools all over the country, had the best food I'll ever have in my life, learnt a beautiful language, and experienced a brand new culture, all in a very short 4 months.