By Anna Rooney ’24

In the spring semester, Alivia Catania ’24 began her study abroad experience through the Syracuse University Florence Program, driven by her desire to learn more about her family’s orientation and connect deeper to her Italian roots.

When she learned about the opportunity to study abroad, she knew right away it was something she could not pass up. Catania was excited to experience first-hand the scenery, cuisine and architecture, as it was her first time visiting the country.

While exposing herself to the different cultures, languages and ethnicities within Florence, she had the opportunity to see those differences in other countries around Europe, as well.

Catania remembers her favorite trip while abroad was to Nice, France. This trip was one of the many school sponsored opportunities the Florence Program provided for students during the semester. 

“We bussed from Florence to Nice. On our way, we stopped in Eze Village, which is a beautiful town in the South of France. Once we got to Nice and settled into our hotel rooms, we went on a walking tour to see the beautiful sights. On the last day, we stopped in Monte Carlo in Monaco, which was breathtaking,” she says. 

Additionally, Catania was able to join another weekend trip hosted by the university called Crossroads to Europe. Along with other students, she traveled to Trieste, in northern Italy, located on the border of Slovenia and Croatia.

On her own time, she traveled to Amsterdam and Dublin and spent a week during spring break in Switzerland traveling to Geneva, Bern, Zurich, Interlaken and Montreux.

When in Florence, she took classes such as Italian, Family and Gender in Contemporary Italy, Mediterranean Food and Culture and Mapping Italy.

“My favorite class by far was Family and Gender in Contemporary Italy with Professor (Carla) Fronteddu,” she says, “I enjoyed this class so much because it touched on very important and relevant topics in Italy, while also explaining the history that made the country what it is today. The topics ranged from violence against women to gender roles in Fascist Italy to reproductive rights.”

When she returned from Italy for the summer, she interned at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their New York City office working for the Digital Assurance and Transparency (DAT) practice doing IT audits. She says, “I really enjoyed the culture and work I did at PwC, so I have accepted a full-time offer for summer 2024. Post-grad I will be taking my CPA license exams, as well as working at PwC.”

Catania is glad she made a tentative four-year plan early to ensure she could go abroad and recommends other students do the same if they are interested. She says, “My time abroad was one of the best experiences of my life, and I am so grateful I had this opportunity.”

Martin J. Whitman School of Management offers many global opportunities for students to go abroad. Learn more about Whitman students and their experiences.

By Anna Rooney ’24