By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
MILAN – It wasn’t Lauren Morrow’s first time traveling abroad.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney senior has spent time at all-inclusive resorts in the Bahamas and Cancún, Mexico. Those family vacations are fun, but you don’t get to truly experience the culture, she noted.
Morrow was looking for a chance to really explore a foreign country and dive deeper into its history, cuisine and customs. That’s why she signed up for a study abroad trip to Milan, Italy.
A psychobiology major in the pre-physician assistant program, Morrow, her younger sister Elizabeth and six other UNK students recently traveled to the fashion and design capital of the world for a three-week experience that they’ll never forget.
Morrow called it an “eye-opening” opportunity.
“Everyone should experience something like this,” the Grand Island native said.
A partnership with the University Institute of Modern Languages (IULM), which focuses on workforce development and cultural preparation, the annual summer program is open to UNK undergraduate students from any academic area. Participants stayed at a nearby college and took classes at IULM covering topics such as Italian history, language and religion, architecture, fashion and design, and food and wine.
“Pretty much every aspect of Italian culture is incorporated into the three-week program,” said UNK associate professor of teacher education Rebecca Nelson, who led the trip.
Of course, these lessons included plenty of hands-on learning and sightseeing.
In Milan, the students visited the Duomo di Milano, a centuries-old cathedral and the largest church in Italy, as well as the Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church, convent and World Heritage site where Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” mural is displayed. They also toured local fashion houses and museums and checked out restaurants and shops in Chinatown, the Navigli canal district and other areas of the city.
“The entire city center is a really neat atmosphere to be in, just to see all the different people and hear all the different languages that are spoken,” Nelson said. “It’s an experience unlike any that you would ever get here in the United States because of how old those buildings are compared to the U.S.”
That history was a highlight for Morrow.
“I really liked just walking around and seeing the architecture,” she said. “I think that was really cool because we don’t necessarily have that in America. We tend to tear stuff down and build new, where they try to preserve that history.”
“These are the things that you don’t get to see when you’re at a resort,” Morrow added. “You don’t get to see the houses. You don’t get to see the stores or the beautiful streets. You don’t get to see the historical stuff.”
Along with Milan, the study abroad trip included weekend excursions to Rome and Florence. The Vatican, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Palazzo Pitti, a late 15th century palace that houses several important museums, were among the featured stops.
Laura Carnahan, a UNK sophomore from La Vista, shares Morrow’s reasoning for choosing this study abroad program.
“I wanted to go experience a different culture and really immerse myself in it,” she said. “It was very interesting to see how people live their lives over there.”
Plus, Carnahan is studying visual communication and design with a minor in marketing/management, so she learned things that apply directly to her future career.
“It was very eye-opening to see that design has multiple definitions depending on where you are in the world,” Carnahan said. “As a graphic designer, I can draw inspiration from this experience and put that into my work.”
One of her favorite parts of the trip was visiting Lake Como, a picturesque area in the foothills of the Alps, and the small village of Varenna, which is known for its elegant villas and botanical gardens.
“That was probably the most beautiful area that I was in the whole time we were there, because the flowers were all in bloom,” she said. “It was such a cozy town.”
Carnahan and Morrow both discovered some surprising things about the Italian people during their three weeks in the country. Mainly, their personalities are much more laid-back compared to Americans and they’re definitely not early risers.
Classes didn’t start until 10 a.m., lunch was around 2 or 3 p.m. and dinner isn’t served until 9 or 10 p.m.
“That really threw me for a loop,” Morrow said with a laugh. “I had no idea they ate dinner so late. I’m like a 5, 5:30 dinner kind of person, so waiting until later, I’m like, ‘OK, I am starving.’”
These cultural differences are another part of the learning process.
“We really want students to get outside of their comfort zones, because that’s where the growth really happens,” Nelson said. “By opening their eyes to these experiences, they gain a better understanding of people and the world we live in. And their own perspectives can shift based on those experiences.”
Nelson hopes this trip inspires participants to pursue even more international travel moving forward, and she already has a spokesperson spreading the word to fellow Lopers. Carnahan plans to pitch the opportunity to all her friends.
“I feel like other students should study abroad just to experience something different,” Carnahan said. “Our daily life here in Nebraska can start to feel the same. We see the same sorts of people every day. But when you travel abroad, you get to interact with and meet these really amazing people. You can intake those experiences and bring them back here, and it really opens your mind up to new possibilities.”
