It’s been a little while since I returned from my summer study abroad program in Italy, and I’m still processing just how much it meant to me. The program Comparative Republicanism in Rome and Florence was more than an academic experience; what I took away from it was something far more personal.
As an African American, first-generation college student raised by a widowed mother, having the chance to study abroad, not once, but twice, is still something I’m trying to wrap my head around. Before traveling to London in my freshman year and then this summer to Italy, I never imagined I’d be walking through the very places where the political ideas I’ve studied were once alive and being tested. Being there made it all feel real in a way that no book ever could.
One of the most impactful places I visited was Machiavelli’s Villa, where he spent his exile. I still think about that moment a lot, standing there, it was tough knowing that he could still see Florence, but wasn’t allowed to return. Being in a space closely tied to political struggle and resilience was powerful. While exile looks different today, I couldn’t help but draw similarities to how people can still be pushed out of communities or silenced in different ways. Yet Machiavelli didn’t disappear; he kept writing, thinking, and living, leaving something that still matters centuries later. That reminded me that even when you’re pushed to the side, you can still leave something behind that matters.
Visiting Rome was another defining moment. Walking through the ruins of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, I realized the Roman Republic wasn’t just one fixed model of government; it was constantly evolving. The Romans didn’t invent democracy as we know it, but they laid the foundations that shaped political systems for centuries. They wrestled with questions of citizenship, justice, and public duty in ways that still echo today. Being there made me think differently about my studies in political theory. It reminded me that what we consider normal today is the result of centuries of trial, error, and reinvention.
I’ve always loved helping people, which has naturally led me toward public service, someday even running for office, but Italy gave that dream a sharper focus. Being there made me think more deeply about what leadership means and the weight of the responsibilities that come with it. The Romans valued glory, and while that might feel different from today’s values, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve lost something by not holding impact and service in the same regard.
I’m so grateful for the time I had in Italy and for the chance to experience it through a program like this. It’s something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’m glad opportunities like study abroads exist to make moments like this possible.