Michelle's adventure in Paderno del Grappa, Italy
Michelle Musco, ISE Class of 2018
Michelle participated in a study abroad program called CIMBA in Paderno del Grappa during the spring semester of her Junior Year. Paderno del Grappa is a very small town in the northern mountains of Italy, about an hour outside of Venice. Michelle talks about her experience here:
View from my dorm room of the CIMBA campus & one of many beautiful sunsets we experienced
Snapshot of the small town of Paderno del Grappa where CIMBA is located
Paderno del Grappa is set in the mountains of Northern Italy which provides a beautiful setting for the CIMBA campus
“There were around 80 students from all around the United States and it just so happened that that specific semester I was the only Virginia Tech student. It was a great opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and embark on a new adventure, without knowing a single person. The program is very unique in that we shared a campus with an Italian boarding school for high-schoolers so we had the opportunity to interact with them through sports and around campus. There was also an opportunity to volunteer at the local elementary school in their English classes which I absolutely loved doing.
We had a chance to get involved in the local community through the Add a Seat program where we went to the homes of the students for dinner and were able to interact with the family and learn more about the culture. During the week I took classes that transferred as credit for my Business minor and then traveled somewhere new every weekend. Throughout this semester I traveled to a total of 11 countries and 26 cities and made memories I will never forget. My semester abroad was hands down the best experience of my life and I highly recommend it to all students!”
If interested in learning more about Michelle's experience, please email Ms. Paula Van Curen (Email), who can provide Haley’s contact information.
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