Majors and Minors in Italian Intern for Several Weeks in Italy and Study Italian

A group of students in Rome.

This summer, three majors and minors in Italian studies had the opportunity to spend several weeks in Italy to study the language and practice their skills in stimulating internships.

Bella Thompson, a member of the class of 2026 who is majoring in political science and international studies with minor in Italian, spent nine weeks at the Rome Center. While taking Italian Conversation and completing assignments in the streets of Rome and with local people, she interned in a non-profit organization called Hummustown. This organization works to help Syrian and other Arabic refugees in the city.

Thompson’s major assignment included marketing the business and assisting at the restaurants that serve Syrian food. “This summer, I learned how to adapt to a new environment. I also learned how to apply the Italian skills I acquired at University of Arkansas while expanding them through conversation with native Italian speakers,” Thompson said.

While at the Rome Center for nine weeks, Chloe Cucina, a member of the class of 2026 who is a double major in international business with a focus in marketing and Italian, worked with a small technology company called OSC Innovation, which combines technology and creativity to organize events, build exhibits, install applications and create installations. Cucina started a lead generation campaign and created marketing materials aimed towards English-speaking companies, including a pitch deck for Leonardo Express. She also translated Italian resources to English and adapted the diction to appeal to corporate culture in the U.S.

“I felt like I had the opportunity to make an impact on people all over the globe,” Cucina said. “This internship allowed me to apply what I’ve already learned with my international business marketing and Italian majors and has taught me so much about the corporate world and how to interact with different cultures, while strengthening my Italian skills.”

Jenna Klewsaat, a member of the class of 2025 who is majoring in psychology with minors in English, Italian and communications, spent two months in Sicily. At the School of Babilonia in Taormina, Klewsaat took Intermediate Italian and was also the school’s TikTok manager for six weeks. Every day, she shared her own experiences about living in Sicily, interviewing friends and posting upcoming excursions and classes that Babilonia offered.

“This was such an amazing opportunity to show my creativity, utilize my social media and marketing skills, all while having the most gorgeous views to film and sharing the most amazing time of my life,” Klewsaat said. “Not only did my time at Babilonia boost my confidence academically but also personally. I am much more confident traveling by myself in a foreign country and speaking Italian.”

After Sicily, Klewsaat spent four weeks at the Rome Center, where she took classes to fulfill her communications minor.

During their study abroad experiences, Thompson, Cucina and Klewsaat had the opportunity to travel around Italy and Europe, thus connecting with their own origins, exploring new cultures and experiencing the cultural differences between the various regions of Italy.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.