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What could be better than spending a full month in Italy wandering the streets of Rome, learning about Italian culture and history, and enjoying the country’s rich culinary scene? Probably, earning college credits for doing that.

That was the experience for nine Mount students who traveled to Rome this summer to participate in a study abroad program to take two courses taught by English professor Alice Bardan, PhD: “Rome in Literature and Film,” and “Italian Film and Food Culture.”

The courses are open to all the Mount students who have completed English 1A and 1B, and all students who participated in the program received a scholarship from the University that covered almost half of the cost of the trip.

This international experience, organized by the Center for Global Initiatives, provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in Italian culture and explore food traditions in different parts of Italy. The program was created in partnership with Accent Global, an international education organization that partners with U.S. colleges and universities to deliver unique global learning opportunities

The classes took place at Accent Global’s study center, located in the heart of Rome’s historic center. In addition to attending lectures, students participated in a wide range of experiential activities throughout the month. From exploring museums in Rome and experiencing a food tour in the city with stops at famous markets, to taking Italian cooking lessons with an experienced chef and visiting Cinecittà (the famous Italian film studios), students got a first-hand taste of the Italian way of living – or, like Italians call it, “la dolce vita” (the sweet life).

“As I have just finished my first year at the Mount, it was incredibly important to jump ahead at the opportunities in front of me, so I decided to join this study abroad trip,” says Julissa Gonzalez ‘26. “This experience has helped me become more independent, and I have returned home full of incredible memories.”

“The courses taught by professor Bardan are very interesting and fun. It’s also been great to connect with other Mount students and build memories together,” adds Susana Oliver ’24.

For many of the students, this was their first time visiting Europe — or traveling anywhere outside the US — which made the experience even more special. Bardan explains that this type of international experiences “force students to open their minds about the world's complexity and come up with ways of overcoming challenges.

“In the process of immersing themselves in a foreign culture, they become more confident and aware of who they are and how they can change the world. They develop skills and traits that employers value, such as intercultural communication, resilience, resourcefulness and adaptability to new surroundings. They get to step outside their comfort zone and experience new places and cultures by developing problem-solving skills and discovering that they can handle the unexpected.”

In the literature and film course, students not only learned about a wide range of representations of Rome by Italian and American directors, they also explored the different locations where films were shot in order to understand better the spatial complexities of the city and the various forms and levels of cinematic representations. The course examines several texts that reflect how Rome, a cityscape steeped in history and myth, inspired various writers and filmmakers. The students read from authors who traveled to Rome to find inspiration in the city’s ruins, and watched and discussed various films settings in the city.

In the food course, they studied the development of alimentary customs over the centuries and examined contemporary food practices in Italy. Additional topics include the cultural symbolism of Italian food, the Mediterranean diet as cultural heritage, ongoing changes in food production, distribution, and consumption, and Italy’s strategies for protecting its diverse traditions, including the Slow Food movement. Students also learned practical and interesting facts, such as the difference between trattoria, osteria, enoteca and ristorante; how to read Italian wine labels; and how to decipher an Italian menu (e.g., the difference between aperitivi, antipasti, primi, secondi, contorni, etc.).

For Bardan, one of the highlights of the trip was learning to cook pasta from scratch from a chef who has experience working in a Michelin-star restaurant in Rome. “He stressed that through our food choices, we can collectively influence how food is cultivated, produced and distributed, and thus we can change the world!”