Studying at Dante Alighieri

The professors at Dante Alighieri have been incredible in their abilities to execute the Italian culture in an exciting and engaging manner. Having the opportunity to see your lessons come to life, by visiting the original environment in which it took place or by hearing the language being taught through the mouth of a real authentic Italian; is a lesson you will never forget. When they speak about their beloved home and the history that goes along with being an Italian, they ooze passion and genuine enthusiasm.

My art appreciation professor, Rebecca, is currently studying in England to receive her PhD in the arts, and you can tell that when she is discussing about the topic of art in class or at a site we are visiting in Siena or Florence that it’s a topic she legitimately loves. Her vast knowledge, especially on Sienese art or Etruscan art, engages me to want to learn more. When looking at the art in Italy, I only knew the surface of the stories behind each painting, sculpture, or architecture — but I never knew that each design, no matter how miniscule, had a purpose. She explained that each artist had a reason for what they created, and every detail could be related back to the main story or point in which the artist was trying to actualize. Basically, unless you intensely study each piece of art down to the tiniest of details, you will never truly understand the in-depth foundation that was used to create the Italian art we see today. It is quite mind-blowing and alluring when you think about it. The same goes for Guido, the professor of the history behind Siena, when he speaks you can feel the absolute devotion and intensity he expresses on each subject. In addition to that, when he’s teaching he creates an environment in which you feel like it’s more of a conversation than a lecture, and to me that makes the lesson even more compelling. As for my Italian language professor, I applaud her patience for our terrible annunciations and our slowness to grasp the rules of the Italian language. Her willingness to endure the time it takes for individuals to learn a new language is very inspiring, and the way she handles her class you can tell her main achievement is for us to learn and actually remember what we’ve been taught in class.

The last professor I would like to recognize is not from Dante Alighieri but is from Armstrong State University now considered Georgia Southern University, Dr. Jane Rago. Without Dr. Rago this study abroad program in Italy wouldn’t be possible. All the work she has put in behind the scenes was by far one of the most difficult things a professor could do: booking apartments for all 10 students to live in, making sure we are prepared and accommodated for the trip, laying out the English course schedule and the lesson plans for the whole semester — including the classes she will be teaching back at Armstrong/GSU — coordinating with the professors at Dante Alighieri to make sure are schedules are correct, and the list continues. I can’t imagine the stress she has been put under, but she still manages to make our desires her first priority, and so all in all she is one of the most remarkable professors I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and to learn from. I am truly blessed to have a group of professors so dedicated and passionate about their jobs, that because of them my experience will be even grander than I could imagine.