Italian Cultural Center Scholarship Allows Students to Discover Italy’s Hidden Treasures

With the goal of encouraging appreciation of Italian culture, the Italian Cultural Center (ICC) Scholarship played an instrumental role in students’ study abroad experience this past summer.

“The scholarships afford students a unique opportunity for travel, and in Rome, Italy, they view a heritage and culture that goes back two millennia,” said Joseph Sciame, Vice President for Community Relations and Chair of the Italian Cultural Center Advisory Board at St. John’s University. “Such exposure to the arts and works of the past helps to broaden their life experience.”

The scholarship is valued at $3,000 for the summer session, which is entitled, “The City of Rome.” Scholarships are also available for the fall and spring semesters. In the one-month summer session, Rome is used as an “open-air classroom,” with students spending minimal time sitting in a traditional classroom setting.

“The program uses field-based learning techniques in which students use Rome itself as their textbook,” said Douglas Cantelmo ’10C, ’14G, Adjunct Professor, and students’ main contact for the summer session. “The entire program is basically excursion-based. If students fly all the way to Rome to learn about Italian culture, it does not make sense to have them spend hours in front of slideshows.”

Amanda Negretti, a senior from Long Island, NY, in the Advertising Communication program, was among those students who made the trip abroad this summer.

“I am so grateful for the ICC Scholarship because if I didn’t receive it, I would not have been able to participate in the program,” she said. “Being an Italian-American, I’m passionate about my culture, and what better way to learn about it than by going to Italy?”

To qualify for the scholarship, students must have completed their first year of study at St. John’s, have a grade point average of at least 3.25, and write an essay detailing their interest in Italian culture. Students need not be of Italian descent.

“The ICC Scholarship was my only viable option to travel to Rome,” said senior Christy A. Zegel, an Adolescent Education/Biology major. “Thanks to the scholarship, I was able to discover the many layers of Roman history, as well as the cultural nuances that are often overshadowed by stereotypes.”

While students in the program had free time to explore popular tourist destinations on their own, such as the Colosseum, the program itinerary focused on discovering “the hidden beauty of the Italian capital city.” Visits included Orvieto, a small city known for its architecture and ancient caves; Villa Doria Pamphili, a former private villa converted into a public park; and an opportunity to receive a Papal Blessing.

“I found myself really intrigued by the areas that weren't ‘touristy,’” said Amanda. “My most memorable experience was taking a boat ride around Lake Bracciano. According to the boat’s captain, we were the first Americans to ever take that ferry ride.”

Students interested in learning more about Italian culture by studying in Rome can complete the ICC Scholarship application. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

All photos courtesy of Amanda Negretti.