Grace Malone

I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where I was able to experience the incredible, flourishing art of the city. I travelled all over Europe and, having been my first time in those countries, got to learn so many incredible things about the culture and people living there. As my family is from Sicily, I was also able to reconnect with my roots and visit the towns where my ancestors once lived. The Honors program allowed me to afford to travel and pay for my incredible courses that took me to various museums and cities in Italy. I will never forget the incredible food, experiences, and friends I made while abroad, and the invaluable academic lessons I learned that I could not have gotten anywhere else besides Florence.  

I was honestly surprised by how little I knew about living outside of the U.S. From the cobblestone streets to the beautiful, bright homes, and all the way to the incredible art I witnessed, I was truly humbled by it all. I’ve grown up in an incredibly small, rural town in New York, and experiencing all of this was the most eye-opening experience of my life. 

Once I’m out of college and can begin saving money from my future job, I plan on returning to Italy to meet up again with the incredible friends I met. I want to retrace my steps through my study abroad experience and completely envelop myself in the culture of Italy.