Marissa Collier | Major: Nursing 
Semester in Florence - Fall 2017

"Italy is a breathtaking country filled with caring and hospitable people, and yes, the majority of the people in Florence speak English, but challenging yourself in the language is something you will not really be able to do back in the United States. Italy has so much culture and history which you will not really get anywhere else! This program was challenging at times, but that is when you truly were able to overcome those obstacles and strive for new goals. If the opportunity lends itself, I say go! Go explore, step outside of your comfort zone, eat some gelato, and to enjoy the moment and this opportunity to be in Italy!"

Jackie Martel | Major: Hospiltality Management
Semester in Florence - Spring 2017

"I honestly cannot even begin to explain how much my study abroad experiences have changed me. I have grown on so many levels-personal, academic, and professional. I am so much more confident in my time management and planning skills, my ability to interact positively with new, unfamiliar and different social/educational situations, and learning how to ask for assistance in an appropriate manner."

  
Samantha Travis | Major: Social Work (JMU '16)
Semester in Florence - Spring 2016

"A student should participate in this program to grow and gain a new perspective. When you can live in a foreign country for three to four months, have it added towards your education, and travel the world, why wouldn’t you? This program helped me fulfill some of my life dreams of seeing the world and traveling. I will never be able to live the way I did when I studied abroad because I was learning about the immediate surrounding culture and traveling to other countries on the weekends, but always having a home base of Florence. A student should participate because this experience can change the way you view the world and yourself."

 
Blake Seymour | Major: Sports & Rec Management
Semester in Florence - Summer 2016

"The best part of this program were the endless opportunities. Professors were understanding, classes involved going to museums and seeing the art pieces in person, rather than on a slideshow, and the most extravagant part was that I traveled every weekend which allowed me to explore 4 countries and 13+ cities in Europe... A student should participate in the Florence program because it will be an enlightening experience that will prepare you for life after college. Since the program, I have traveled back to Italy, and traveled to Spain, United Kingdom, France, and Portugal with the intention of going to Israel next. Studying abroad gave me the confidence that international traveling is possible."