Nine high school students from Genoa, Italy are gaining a firsthand experience of American college life here at Bucknell. Each year in September, Bucknell’s Italian Studies Program hosts high school students for approximately four days. They live in residential dorms with their hosts, attend classes and experience the day-to-day life of an American university undergrad. For the past three years, Bucknell has sent students to Italy in May to serve as teaching assistants at an international high school in Genoa. This unique experience aims to foster international connections, enrich the campus community and provide insights into the differences between the American and Italian educational systems.
Having the opportunity to talk first with Silvia, a 15-year-old from Deledda International School, was extremely eye-opening.
“It’s like a dream. I’ve always wondered what college life is like, I mean you can study anything you want,” Silvia said. While staying with a host student, Silvia had the opportunity to attend a wide range of classes, from math and biomedical engineering to jazz. She found the jazz class particularly enjoyable, as courses like this aren’t offered back home in Genoa.
She added, “It’s so different from what I imagined. I was surprised to see that students are at all different skill levels. You don’t need to be a professional to attend these classes.”
Alessandro Andreani and Alessandra Bonavia are both high school teachers in Genoa. Andreani was previously an Italian teaching assistant at Bucknell ten years ago. Both shared their perspectives on the overall experience.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for our students to experience college life on an American campus, which they only really see in movies and TV series,” said Andreani. ” They’re also able to form friendships with Bucknell’s host students which will allow them to become more open-minded and enrich their cultural understanding.”
Bonavia added that most of their students are Italian, so although they attend an international school, they primarily interact with other cultures only when traveling. She explained, “This is an opportunity for them to see the authentic American culture.”
They believe that this enriching experience is for both sides—not just their students but their Bucknell peers as well. They have the chance to converse and share ideas which makes them more aware of diverse viewpoints.
Madison McKay ’27, currently hosting an Italian exchange student, shared her insight on the experience.
“This experience has given me perspective about other places in the world,” says McKay. “I am an intended Italian major, so hosting an Italian student really brought me the experience of their culture.” McKay is Silvia’s host student. Silvia accompanied McKay to her classes and learned American phrases and trends. Silvia also got the chance to talk to her family over the phone, which brought McKay a lot of joy. “I definitely have a greater appreciation for international students, and I’m planning on studying in Italy next year. I’ll know a lot more about their culture and it will honestly feel like a home away from home.”
In May, Sarah Downey ’25 interned at the Deledda International School in Italy, where she helped the teacher of a class taught in English with planning lessons and testing the students. Downey stayed with a host family who had two daughters, an eight-year-old and a 12-year-old. Through this experience, she learned a great deal about Italian culture.
“The culture itself wasn’t super difficult to adapt to. I mean there are small things such as timeliness. Italians tend to eat dinner much later, and everyday living is generally much more relaxed,” Downey shared. Sharing her perspective on her future, Downey said, “I’m not going to graduate perfectly fluent in Italian and I’m okay with that because it’s something I will continually learn about and keep growing.”
This program provides a very important connection between cultures, not solely limited to the U.S. and Italy. It can be a springboard to potentially bring students from other countries and expand the exchange program. There is plenty to learn from people of other cultures outside the classroom.
The international internship program is funded by Bucknell Beyond Borders and organized by the Bucknell Language Council. Lisa Perrone, Teaching Professor of Italian Studies and Co-Chair of the Language Council, would like to especially thank Bucknell’s Office of the Provost for their generous support of international internships.
