Carissimi studenti di UT San Antonio,
Ciao!
UT San Antonio’s College of Liberal and Fine Arts spent their final full week in the medieval city of Urbino doing finals, holding presentations and meeting with the dean, who came to celebrate the 15th year of COLFA’s study abroad program in Urbino. The week was very busy, however, there was still plenty of time for fun. As the adventure came to an end, COLFA students shared their cumulative knowledge gained throughout the semester.
After completing their Italian language exam last Wednesday, students of COLFA started preparing their final presentations for their language and religion class. Each student worked on editing videos together for the cities, which they presented, accompanied by posters filled with the information they acquired. The videos and posters reflected the culture and communication present within the cities of Assisi, Ravenna, Siena and Gubbio.
These presentations were prepared wholly for an academic audience led by COLFA Dean Glenn Martinez, Ph.D. Last Friday, the cohort met with the dean for a luncheon before guiding him to the college library to showcase their research projects. As they walked to the college, the students reflected on their experiences in Urbino and recognized how surreal it was that the trip was coming to an end. The group of university officials accompanying Martinez listened to the student stories, sharing valuable knowledge on how to progress with their educational journeys moving forward.
During the presentations, COLFA students were able to share plentiful information with members of UT San Antonio leadership, such as Vice Provost of Global Initiatives, Lisa Montoya, Ph.D., and Martinez. The shared expertise of these students allowed for an open discussion of academic topics among all. This conversational environment helped the students engage with their audience.
After a day full of conversation and presentation, the group of COLFA students met with the architecture students of UT San Antonio for a farewell dinner. The restaurant was filled with warm lighting and playful noise as the students shared their last night completely together. Throughout the five-course meal, everyone enjoyed the company of their neighbors, all the way to the end of the night. After sharing a cake layered with fresh berries and cream, the group said their goodbyes and parted ways, counting down the few days left in the lovely city of Urbino.
Although this adventure has come to an end, every step of the adventure has inspired everyone involved to step outside of their comfort zones to attain new experiences. This cohort of COLFA students abroad may be done in Italy, but this journey is far from their last!
Thank you to all readers for joining COLFA on this journey abroad. The entire class of students in Urbino wishes a pleasant summer to all, and a prosperous road ahead! Follow @lettersfromurbino on Instagram to stay in touch; please feel free to ask questions about the COLFA study abroad program!
Finché non ci rivedremo,
Buona estate!
