I attended the study abroad program in Italy while taking Western Humanities. The trip was a fantastic experience that made me want to explore the world more. Despite the record-high temperatures in Italy, I could still enjoy the experience. The entire trip felt like a dream. Every street, castle, bridge, or even meal felt magical. We got to see and experience what most people only see in textbooks.
During our trip, we explored the Murano, Burano, and Venice islands to view glass blowing, lace making and enjoy a relaxing gondola ride. My favorite part of the trip was traveling to Tuscany and visiting the cities of Florence and San Gimignano. The beauty and culture of Florence was unmatched. The town was a perfect mix of Renaissance architecture and our modern culture. Florence is a city I recommend to anyone like myself who enjoys a more relaxed environment. Visiting San Gimignano on our way to Rome was an unexpected gem. This town was small but gorgeous! It gave a view of Italy’s countryside and a glimpse of how the Italians live there.

Then, of course, we ended our trip to Rome. Rome is a metropolitan city, which I only sometimes enjoy. But in Rome, we got to see and experience some of the most famous Roman locations, such as the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. It is very comical that you could just be walking down a regular-looking ally in Rome and randomly end up in front of the Pantheon. The most fantastic experience I had in Rome personally was visiting the Vatican. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience even if you are not religious or practice the catholic faith.
Overall, my experience with the travel abroad program has been great. The trip was magnificent, and I plan on traveling again with St. Petersburg College soon!
Christine, SPC Italy Study Abroad Program, July 2023

Italy gave me a beautiful sense of culture, freedom, community, quest for knowledge, and a fundamentally changed sense of perspective. St. Petersburg college provided an all around slam packed trip with a tour guide, shout-out to Denise, that showed one of the most historic places in a short time. Before I signed up for this trip I was worried about three things, safety, the people I would be with, and if I would learn the about italy to the absolute fullest. These worries seem like distant memories. My professor and EF tours never made me feel unsure or alone, I met people who I have continued to talk to and truly bond with, and I saw amazing pieces of art like The David and Birth of Venus, while being able to absorb my area and take every second in.

As I sit here now i’m still truly amazed how much we took in, to art, food, meeting locals, taking scenic rides around different parts of italy, to seeing landmarks. We truly came, saw, and conquered! If you are sitting at home and reading blog post on SPC’s website wondering if you should apply, do it! This experience has opened my eyes, and I can’t wait to see more of the world. – Megan, SPC Italy Study Abroad Program, July 2023

The summer study abroad class to Italy was everything I could have hoped for and more! Dr. Sims was a great professor and planned the class around getting the work done first to enjoy the trip itself later. In the class I almost always felt engaged and interested in the topics at hand; the course workload was reasonable too.

The trip was unbelievable, seeing everything we saw in books and learned about in the classroom come to life was an experience in and of itself. The architecture and the history we saw in the textbook now being right in front of us along with the rich culture of Italy made this class the best I’ve taken so far at SPC. Aside from the academics, the friends I made on this trip were great company, even as the only guy on the trip I never felt out of place, each and every one of them was open and friendly, we all got along and made great conversations and stayed together as a group usually. Also, I can’t talk about Italy without talking about the food too, we had some of the best pastas, seafood, and pizza I’ve ever tried.
Everything about this study abroad class was memorable, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So, to anyone considering one of these study abroad courses yourself, it is completely worth it. With the Scholarship opportunity making this possible for me, I can’t thank SPC enough for making classes like this accessible to everyone. I can’t recommend enough to enroll for a study abroad course and get a memorable experience that you will always remember fondly and won’t ever regret. – Mitchell, SPC Italy Study Abroad Program, July 2023