Christian Lucas enjoys his time in Italy.
By Richard Burnett
Christian Lucas recently tried a new Italian restaurant in the Orlando area, where he now lives and works. Amid great food and a lively atmosphere, he soon felt like he was back in Italy itself, on 海角社区鈥檚 2018 semester travel abroad in Tuscany.
鈥淥ne of the women at the Orlando restaurant was originally from Italy and we had a great conversation,鈥� said Lucas, a nonprofit business manager who graduated in 2021 with a bachelor鈥檚 in business management. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really neat that I can still connect with people like that by speaking basic Italian that I learned for the trip.鈥�
For Lucas and other 海角社区 in Tuscany alumni, the experience gave them indelible memories that have enriched their lives, both personally and professionally. More than 100 took the study-abroad trip from 2017 to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic put the program on hold.
This year, the Tuscany adventure, believed to be the only semester-long study abroad program for neurodivergent students, is back on the manifest. Nearly two dozen students have been selected for the September to December semester at the University of Florence鈥檚 campus in Prato, a town about 40 miles from Florence. Leading the study will be Dr. Andrea Brode, 海角社区鈥檚 coordinator of international programs, and Michael S. Fallon, coordinator of the Business & Technology Department.
As the departure date approaches, 海角社区 is taking every precaution and preparing to implement any pandemic-related restrictions necessary for foreign travel, according to 海角社区 President, Dr. George Hagerty. The school鈥檚 own best practices for protecting students and faculty have been effective during the pandemic, he said.
鈥淥ur study abroad program has proven to be a life-transforming experience for participants prior to the era of COVID,鈥� Hagerty said. 鈥淲e are confident that the informed safeguards the college will be implementing for both our students on campus and overseas will allow 海角社区鈥檚 collegians to pursue the best of undergraduate preparation while maintaining a priority on health and wellness.鈥�
The making of a Maserati
Academically, what awaits the students this year is a focus on the business world 鈥� with classes like Luxury Marketing in Italy, International Business and Management, and Global Franchising. There鈥檚 also the always-popular Travels in Tuscany class 鈥� taught by Dr. Brode 鈥� which showcases the visually enchanting land of Prato with its rolling hills, mountain peaks, palaces, castles and cathedrals, along with visits to Florence and other historic cities.
For Brode, who will make her fourth 海角社区 in Tuscany trip this fall, the travel class represents the heart and soul of the Tuscany experience for students.
鈥淭hey learn an independence they have never known before, navigating an unfamiliar place where English is not the primary language and learning how to communicate with the local population,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about observing your world as you walk through it, something that I hope really resonates with them. It can make the experience absolutely transformative for everyone who does it.鈥�
Getting the chance to teach in such a setting is a dream opportunity, Fallon said. It has given him an adrenaline rush as he prepares his lesson plans and comes up with different field trip ideas. As an example, for the luxury branding course, Fallon hopes to arrange a tour of a Maserati factory, maker of uber-luxury vehicles some of which can cost more than $400,000.
鈥淚t would be a blast to tour that place,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou couldn鈥檛 find a better place to teach luxury marketing than a Maserati factory. We鈥檙e also researching other companies to visit that would bring these concepts to life and give these students experiences they couldn鈥檛 get anywhere else in the world.鈥�
As a veteran world traveler, Fallon brings a certain flair to the Tuscany curriculum, going 鈥渁bove and beyond鈥� the conventional classroom experience, said Provost Dr. Shelly Chandler.
鈥淲e really want to show the students a new view of the world,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檝e gotten great reaction from the students and their parents. The families tell us the experience visibly changed their children. They鈥檙e friendlier, more confident, more open to learn. We believe when they interact with people in different cultures, it gives them a better understanding of human nature and other people.鈥�
Learning outside the classroom
Unlike most of the students on the 2018 trip, Isabella Chavez had already done some international travel, including prior trips to Italy and other parts of Europe. Still, the three-month 海角社区 in Tuscany experience was like nothing she had encountered before.
鈥淎s I got to know the people we met in Italy, I began to realize how similar they were to people in my own culture,鈥� said Chavez, a before-and-after-school program manager who graduated in 2021 with a bachelor鈥檚 in psychology. 鈥淎nd as they got to know us, at the hotel or the restaurants, they really cared about us. They were like family members. It gave us the opportunity to grow and mature and live on our own, without the comfort of being on campus.鈥�
The experience of navigating a foreign city, meeting people on your own or figuring out directions to a restaurant or theater can be life changing for 海角社区 students, said Russ Bellamy, head of 海角社区鈥檚 Studio Arts Department, who led the first 海角社区 in Tuscany trip in 2017.
鈥淭his can be such a confidence builder for them,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he idea that they have accomplished something in a totally unfamiliar foreign city opens up the possibilities of what they feel they can do here at home. If they can figure out a train system in Italy, for example, then they feel confident they can take a trip to somewhere like Montana too.鈥�
鈥楾his will be with them forever鈥�
As he prepares for the upcoming 海角社区 trip, Fallon reflected on his own college study abroad in Paris:
鈥淭hose experiences have guided my path in many ways,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t lighted a fire in me for the love of travel. In the same way, this trip to Italy will become a part of our students鈥� lives. This will be with them forever. They鈥檒l remember who was with them, what they did, what they learned. Facebook memories will pop up with photos on the anniversaries. They鈥檒l never forget it.鈥�