PERUGIA, Italy — Sierra Hiner is a Global Studies major at ̽̽ who has been studying abroad in Perugia, Italy with the Umbra Institute as a part of their Direct Enrollment Program with the Università per Stranieri di Perugia (University for foreigners of Perugia). Her goals for study abroad were two-fold: to connect to her family roots and expand her knowledge of the Italian language. She recently talked with Umbra staff to share her immersive semester and how she plans to take her experiences with her in the future.
As a direct enrollment student, Sierra focused her entire semester on increasing her fluency in Italian through all of her classes, and completed her goal of becoming fluent at a C1 language level. She noted how the program “is very inclusive… regardless of age, nationality, and Italian level.” She befriended students from all across the world through her classes, from countries like Russia, China, Switzerland, and Kyrgyzstan, to name a few. Sierra admitted that there are some differences between the education systems in Italy and the U.S., and advised that students should understand the Institute does “not sugar coat this program- they call it intensive for a reason.” However, she also gave the advice that “if you allow yourself to rest, give yourself breaks, and dedicate yourself to the process, you will feel very proud as you learn a lot not only about the Italian language, but also about yourself as a learner.”
Sierra also made sure to immerse herself into the Italian lifestyle through her volunteer work and hobbies. Once a week, she was a “volunteer at the local high school in Perugia where [she] helped teach English” to students. She “would go everyday if [she] could- it brings [her] so much joy.” This opportunity was so impactful on her overall experience that it inspired her to “pursue a career in teaching English or Italian in the future,” and after she returns to the United States, she plans to continue teaching the high schoolers over zoom. She also continued to pursue her own hobbies in Perugia by taking cello lessons from a local teacher. She told the staff, “Sometimes my teacher organizes a quartet on Saturdays where I get together with Italian musicians to perform. I love being able to practice my language skills outside of the classroom.” Her language immersion translated from her courses to her activities and even with her classmates at Umbra as they listened to Italian music while cooking a classic Italian pasta dinner.
As her semester is coming to a close, Sierra reflected back on her time as a direct enrollment student: “I honestly can’t compare Università per Stranieri di Perugia to anything else- it is so unique and I’m so grateful for everything I have learned, both academic and life-wise.”
About the ISI Abroad - The Umbra Institute:
The Umbra Institute is an American study abroad program located in the central Italian city of Perugia. Perugia is the ideal setting to , with a vast variety of fine arts, psychology, business, and liberal arts courses both at the Umbra Institute and at local Italian Universities, through Umbra’s Direct Enrollment programs. manages the admissions and pre-departure (visa) support for all Umbra students, ensuring a smooth start to their time in Italy. For more information about the Umbra Institute or ISI Abroad, see the website above.