Reflecting on Living and Learning Abroad: Experiences from Prato, Italy

Since its inception in 2012, the University of New Haven’s Prato campus has offered students the unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. Nestled among historic architecture and vibrant Italian culture, the campus offers students the chance to participate in a semester of academic and personal growth thousands of miles from Connecticut.

This past fall, six students took part in an assignment as part of their writing class. They were asked to reflect on an experience that defined their time in Prato—be it a shared meal, a personal triumph, or a cultural tradition. Their entries, and the excerpts highlighted below, paint a vivid picture of the moments that make the Prato program so special, showcasing how stepping outside of one’s comfort zone can lead to growth, connection, and inspiration.

Jacob Berkowitz ’28 - The Magic of Food

Studying abroad in Italy is an opportunity to diversify yourself with multiple aspects of a unique culture. Italian culture has made dinner a much more social event than most Americans are used to. The separate courses and having everyone together for a long period of time breeds conversation and connection that we struggle to get much of in the U.S. With social media and phones too often stealing the personal connection between people, it is refreshing and fulfilling to be able to spend time with my friends and have time to be completely present. I can remember our first dinner here at the restaurant King. The meal was a great icebreaker to develop relationships with my classmates. Food for me has also been a major help in keeping me completely happy and satisfied with my experience here. Being able to try new foods practically every day and experiencing many dishes that would be hard to replicate back home brings me a lot of joy. Trying new drinks and foods to me is one of the best ways to step outside of my comfort zone and embrace this experience. While I’m trying these new dishes and experiencing the deliciousness of each dish, it is hard not to be happy and overwhelmed with a sense of love for the culture that it represents.

Nicole Filippone ’27 - Building a Home in Prato

Thinking back to the countless hours I spent deciding whether I should study in Italy for a semester, I am glad I took the risk. The air felt cleaner, and the sidewalks were bumpier and uneven, but the city was a place that I always admired. The attention to detail while designing these churches and buildings was apparent. I met my peers, visited restaurants, explored the city around me, and began to travel the world. Our favorite restaurant was King; the owners made us feel at home. I grew from being a shy, timid girl who was nervous about coming to a foreign country to becoming an unrecognizable, independent, and confident woman.

The days passed by while I was busy keeping up with classwork, FaceTiming and texting my family and friends, and attending language exchange every Tuesday night. We met new local Italian students each time and talked about what we like to eat, our favorite movies and songs, what life is like back home, etc. We also kept busy with the cooking class. Every other week, we spent time in the kitchen creating new dishes to all enjoy together. My favorite class was making potato tortelli, orecchiette, and tagliatelle.

If I had one piece of advice for anyone debating whether they should study abroad, I would tell them: Don’t second guess yourself; you will be able to create unforgettable memories with your new friends, all while traveling the world and working toward your degree.

Kaitlyn Gilliland ’27 - Memories in Thread

Growing up as a girl scout, I had summers that were filled with sleepaway camp. The staple of these trips, however, was not the never-ending s'mores but rather small bracelets tied to each of our wrists. As I counted down the days to my trip to Prato, I was making my last “quick trip” to the store. And although they had not been written on any of my lists, a small pack of embroidery thread made its way into my cart.

Fast forward to the first Sunday of my time in Italy, I sat on the top bunk in my newly decorated dorm and put together my first bracelet. Green, white, and red. And from that point on, every Sunday I sat at the head of my bed for half an hour and put together a bracelet symbolizing the week I had just completed.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the University of New Haven study abroad program is the Friday excursions. Students who may not have the ability to travel outside of Italy during their stay can still enjoy several trips through the school on Fridays. The trip to the coast of Viareggio was the first on my wrist. Teal, blue, and green. The way the waves hugged the rocks, and greeted me with its warm open arms, much different from the water I was used to in Connecticut. And after the later the trip to Siena, where I spent the day climbing what seemed to be never-ending stairs, I created a green, yellow, and red bracelet. Those were the colors of the racecars that were slowly driven into the piazza while we ate lunch.

In the end, even the mundane of my new life made its way onto my wrist. Evenings taking a short train ride away in Florence eating Subway turned into a white, green, and yellow bracelet for the colors of the sign that brightly lit up my friends face as we laughed about how different it was to order in Italian. Or a solid week where the only thing I drank was hibiscus teas. Pink, red, and white. I begin to appreciate the mundane in the same way I appreciated the bigger trips I have taken during my time in Italy.

Megan Lowe ’27 - A Cure for Homesickness

The best thing that I found to dull my longing for home while I studied abroad in Prato, Italy, was signing up to experience eating with an Italian family. The University of New Haven organizes groups of students to eat a home-cooked meal with a family that lives in Prato. While it is an optional experience, I highly recommend it.

The family that I was matched with was incredibly kind and welcoming to everyone. They have a six-year-old daughter, Azzurra, who always puts a smile on everyone’s face. I have been to my family for dinner four times now. The first time I went, Lorenzo, the father, cooked us a three-course meal. We started off with different kinds of bruschetta and cold cuts. Then we were served delicious pasta in a homemade pesto sauce. To top off the night we were given homemade profiteroles, which are a type of cream puff.

Since the meals are freshly made, there is always a lot of down time between courses. As we were waiting for the next courses, Azzurra loved bringing out her favorite games to play. We’ve played Italian Headbands, where you must guess what animal or thing you are. To help us practice our Italian, Francesca and Lorenzo made us only ask questions in Italian. Overall, the entire experience of having an Italian family not only helped to immerse me in Italian culture, but it cured my homesickness.

Vanessa Morales ’28 - Volunteering in Prato

In the upper levels of Italian class, students are required to complete a total of 16 hours of volunteer work while here in Prato. On my first day, I met a girl named Matilda, who is in middle school and speaks advanced English for her age group. Since I did not speak Italian fluently, I spent most of the day with her, helping however I could with her homework and answering silly questions about America. As the days went on, I got more accustomed to the environment and became more comfortable and confident talking in Italian and helping with the kids' homework assignments. I also met three other girls, Silvia, Benedetta, and Alessia, all of whom are close in age to me, and we grew virtually inseparable. Because of them, I continued volunteering past my required hours, spending much of my leisure time volunteering and doing my homework with them.

During my last few days, Benedetta and Silvia told me that because of me, and my courage to spend my time with new people speaking a foreign language, they have also found themselves pushing their boundaries and doing more outgoing things they would not have done before we met. As this one of the highlights of my experience in Prato, I would strongly suggest volunteering somewhere in the city, regardless of the level of Italian you are taking.

Dawn Kindle ’28 – Our Prato Family

One of the opportunities that really gave me an authentic look into the day-to-day life in Prato was family dinners. My roommates and I were paired with Lorenzo, Francesca, and their daughter Azzurra. When we got to their house we were immediately welcomed with bright smiles and prosecco. Lorenzo tells us that he could not decide between two pasta dishes, so he was going to make them both: spaghetti alla carbonara and tortellini in a cream sauce with prosciutto. I never left a table so full!

We talked about traveling, life back in America, and life here in Prato. Toward the end of the meal Azzurra brought out a memory game. Not only did we have to remember details of the photos but also how to answer in Italian. It was good practice since we all take an Italian course here in Prato.

Before we went over for a second evening, my roommates and I bought Azzurra an advent calendar to show her a Christmas tradition that we do back in America. Then, Lorenzo taught us how to prepare the dough for the pizzas and how to stretch them out. Once we got the hang of it, Lorenzo pulled out so many different toppings: mozzarella, burrata, sausage, prosciutto, pepperoni, arugula, and mushrooms, to name a few. They also had panettone to show us a traditional Christmas dessert. We ended the night watching Harry Potter in Italian with English subtitles with the whole family. I’ve missed my family a lot during this trip, but by doing these dinners it was nice to know I found a family here as well.