SAI Study Abroad at UCSC (Milan, Italy)

Although my semester got cut short to two weeks, I had the best time in Milan! From the beginning, SAI and the onsite staff in Milan were supportive, welcoming, and knowledgeable on topics of visas to best pizza restaurants. Within the short time I was abroad, I met and made friendships with many other students in my program and locals that attended my University. SAI and Cattolica were supportive throughout the semester of online courses and provided resources to immerse ourselves in Italian culture virtually.

I studied abroad with SAI in Milan at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore for Spring 2017. Milan was the absolute most amazing city to study abroad in, and by going through SAI I was provided with on the ground support and cultural immersion activities that I would not have gotten from anyone else. Their student support is truly unmatched. Milan is such an interesting and unique Italian city, and I was able to discover parts of it through SAI activities or off of the recommendation of my program coordinator that I wouldn't have known or found on my own. The courses I took at Cattolica focused on the business side of fashion, which adds a unique part to my resume that I would not have been able to get at my home university. I loved that all of my professors were professionals in their field, which also meant that they had colleagues and professional friends that were able to come and speak with our class. We also did multiple field studies in all of my courses, so I got to attend things such as Fashion Week and be an audience member in the tapping of a very popular talk show. While you are studying abroad, they have high standards and do not want you to be there just to goof off. I absolutely loved the educational experience I was provided at Cattolica. Beginning to end, SAI provided me with so much support that nothing was confusing or hard, and everything went super smoothly. Two of my courses counted for my major credits and the others came back as general elective credits very smoothly.

Right before I left home to study abroad, I was a little reluctant and nervous about moving to a completely different country where I knew no one. But once I got to Milan, I felt right at home. SAI helped so much with the transition period and my study abroad coordinator, Alicia was the best. The first day I moved into my apartment, I actually ended up getting my bag stolen along with all my money and identification cards. Alicia literally saved me that day and made sure I was okay and that I had money and everything until I could get some of it replaced. She also helped the rest of the semester go way smoother and I still keep in touch with her today. The roommates I had were also amazing - which was also something I was nervous about at the start. But we're all still super close and are planning a reunion soon to see each other. My school program at Cattolica was also fantastic - I actually ended up staying longer to attend summer courses because I found the classes so interesting and wanted to stay in Milano a little longer...which brings me to my final thought - Milan is the best city in the world and everyone should definitely study abroad there if they get the chance!