Erica Benedicto
When Erica Benedicto embarked on the Business Rome: Foster School Rome Program, it was her first time traveling outside of North America. She always aspired to study in Rome, and the courses offered through the program aligned perfectly with her Business major.
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“I wanted to learn more about the Roman perspective and lifestyle. Since I knew that I wouldn't have enough time to study abroad during the academic year, summer was the perfect opportunity.”
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Erica lived in an apartment with classmates during her month-long study abroad. Located in Trastevere, their bright peach-colored apartment was just a short walk from the UW Rome Center. Two of Erica’s friends from the UW lived with her along with two other students from the Foster School program.
Erica and her friend Tomoki ate to their hearts’ content at every meal, including pizza, pasta, and prosciutto. Erica Benedicto
“Some of my favorite memories include our roommate home-cooked dinners made with local farmers market ingredients. A few unexpected mishaps during our time together included three power outages and two bathroom floods in our apartment. They were all great bonding experiences.”
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While in Rome, Erica enrolled in two core classes for the Business major, earning 8 credits in just four weeks. Professors Dr. Christina Fong and Dr. Hamed Mamani organized company and cultural visits to enhance their students’ learning. The staff director Theresa Maloney arranged group dinners to connect with the students and explore a major part of Italian culture: the food!
“When in Rome, I walked to the Bar del Cappuccino every morning before class. It was hard to say goodbye to this family and their local business.” Erica Benedicto
“Meals typically consisted of the best pasta I have ever eaten, pizzas bigger than my head, or fresh produce from the Campo de’ Fiori farmers market.”
One of Erica’s most cherished relationships while abroad was with the owners at the local coffee shop, Bar del Cappuccino. Before heading to class, she would grab a cappuccino with a vanilla cream-filled croissant and chat with them.
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“I looked forward to being greeted by their smiles every morning. They happened to be husband and wife and had owned the establishment for many decades. I later found out that the barista, Luigi Santoro, was actually a world-renowned barista and has been featured in newspaper articles around the world!”
On top of the delicious cuisine, Italy also offers a gorgeous landscape. On weekends and holiday breaks, Erica traveled around Italy. One of her fondest memories is hiking the mountains of Cinque Terre and cliff jumping into the turquoise water.
“We swam to the edge of the rocks closest to us, climbed up the side of the cliff and jumped together! It was one of the most spontaneous and freeing moments during my study abroad experience.”
Studying abroad is packed full of novel, fun experiences, and it is a time for personal growth. Erica’s perspective on her own life changed as a result of her experiences. She now welcomes ambiguity as an opportunity for learning more about herself, which she encountered many times while abroad. She also realized the importance of taking the time to enjoy meals with loved ones and appreciate natural beauty. She wants to continue adventuring abroad.
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“I value diversity of perspectives, and traveling provides just that. Studying abroad was one of the best experiences of my college career and this is only the beginning.”
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Written by Madison Gallagher
Photos courtesy of Erica Benedicto
Erica and her friends hiked the coast of Cinque Terre and jumped into the Ligurian Sea. Erica Benedicto
Published Nov. 2017