Student Spotlight: Alea Beckett, Study Abroad Fall 2012

Meet Alea Beckett from the University of Wisconsin at Madison who spent her Fall 2012 semester studying abroad at John Cabot University.

Roma, Italia. I had an experience I would never alter and would live again and again if I could. It is chaotic and exciting, intimidating and incredibly passionate. The city lives in an alternate world – one caught between ancient and modern society. I absolutely loved attending poetry nights and enjoying aperitivo at a hole-in-the-wall cafe, riding random buses to see new parts of the city, grabbing gelato after class (every class…), standing in the grocery stores and not knowing what is sugar or salt or flour or…anything. One of my most embarrassing (and humbling) experiences was confidently ordering a coffee for the first time and realizing just how terrible my Italian was when I received a cold milk instead.

John Cabot University was the perfect institution to aid me in my journey abroad. I took classes and worked on projects with so many Italian students and learned more about their culture from them than I could ever hope to on my own. I was able to take a class on the Sociology of Southern Italy from a brilliant British professor who had lived much of her life in Sicily and gave us information from her real, first-hand experiences. The University was the perfect portal to this new world while providing all of the comforts of home. They made the logistical processes so easy for me, including moving in, getting my visa and Permit to Stay, apartment maintenance, sending my transcripts to my home institution, etc.

Thank you, JCU for everything you did for me, for my experience, and for how accessible you made Roma, Italia!

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