Ciao! My name is Maddie DeMarino and I am a rising senior in the Dietrich school. I am a chemistry major with business and Italian minors and a sports studies certificate on the pre-dental track. On campus, I’m involved in Pitt dance ensemble, Delta Phi Epsilon, and the women in research club. I also work in Pitt’s dental school as a student assistant. I’ve been learning Italian since my freshman year of high school and am very excited to build upon my language skills.

I chose this Rome: Art, Language, and Culture program because it mixed my excitement for the Italian language with my interest in museums, specifically sculptures from this era. I am an Italian minor so I wanted a way to complete my minor that also gives me a chance to be fully immersed in the language. I want to be able to use what I have learned in my Italian classes so far in the real world.

As a chem major, I don’t have as much time to take humanities classes that interest me. The class History and Ethics of Collecting peaked my interest because I had not taken a class like it before. There are many on-site class days that sound exciting and seem so beneficial. I am excited to not only visit museums and take in art but also learn the why I feel that this class and program provide many outside-of-the-classroom learning opportunities which is why I ultimately chose this program.

Overall on this program, I want to grow as a more independent person in my own life skills as well as my academics. I want to become a more knowledgeable global citizen and experience the world with respect and understanding,