Submitted by Courtney Marino on the 2019 summer session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition…
My final week in Italy was definitely the most impactful. We traveled to Rome, the heart of many historic sites in Italy. Rome was a busy city filled with tourists. By the end of the week, I felt like I had been living there for months.
In Rome, we visited the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. I was able to do a project on the FAO and their hunger activities prior to our visit, so it was incredible to see their hard work in person. The FAO inspired me so much, especially their floor of seventeen goals. Each goal was directed toward the world as a whole, which shows the FAO has no cultural boundaries. They want to help the entire world.
On top of this, I was able to visit the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain. Both of these sites were even more intricate in person. It boggles my mind that someone created such masterpieces with the little resources available at the time. It gave me a broad appreciation for the architects of the time. I am very grateful to have seen Rome in person, and I enjoyed every aspect of this study abroad program.