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Ciao! I’m Jess and I studied abroad at Umbra in Spring semester 2023. I go to Binghamton University and study Psychology, with minors in Education and Global Studies. I am interested in international education in the future. While abroad, I participated in the Multicultural Psychology Program (MPP) which included conversations with professionals in different fields of psychology and a fun field trip. I took a variety of psychology classes as well as Italian, and loved to travel on the weekends. While at Umbra, I also helped with social media and created blog posts as an Umbra Rep. Studying in Perugia was a great place to be more immersed in Italian culture and I would love to discuss what it’s like with any students!

My name is Dayna and I am a Communications Major at UConn! At Umbra, I took beginner Italian, History and Culture of Italian Food, Digital Marketing for Wine and Wineries, and Intercultural Communication. When I’m not studying or planning my next trip, you can find me doing graphic design or taking aesthetic pictures of my food. I found a home in Perugia to avoid the more touristy cities and branch out to meet like-minded people. Perugia is a city off the beaten path with hidden gems all around. Feel free to reach out and ask me about my experience!

Ciao! My name is Ruby, and I am a student from the University of Connecticut majoring in Communications. I was enrolled in the General Studies program at Umbra for the Spring 2019 semester. I picked Perugia because I wanted to study somewhere unknown to me, less touristy, and genuine. After spending a semester here, I learned just how famous Perugia is, while maintaining the authenticity. The Umbra Institute has many opportunities to be immersed in the city while professors encourage cultural experiences and help to create a fun environment in class. I am looking forward to returning to Perugia soon!”

My name is Kate and I’m an undergraduate at the College of William & Mary. I’m a double English and Italian Cultural Studies major and was enrolled in the General Studies courses at Umbra. The entire Umbra faculty and staff work overtime to make sure that your stay in Perugia is an enjoyable one and their effort really shines through in all of the activities offered at the Institute. Beyond our classes, which range from the History and Culture of Italian Food to Ceramics to International Marketing, Umbra offers extracurriculars like Tandem cultural exchanges where American students can meet and practice their Italian with local Italian university students (who are just as anxious to practice their English!), choir rehearsals, Umbra soccer and softball, and tons of opportunities to give back to the community including tutoring English at a local Italian high school or making Pigotta dolls for UNICEF. There is so much that I love about Perugia that I know it already has a permanent spot in my heart. From touring the local cafes filled with welcoming locals to finding new spots to workout (even if I look a bit silly to the Italians), I’ve walked every bit of this city. There are a lot of reasons to choose Perugia but at the end of the day it’s the city in Italy that feels the most like home. I may be an American fish-out-of-water here, but I’ll be an adopted Perugini-out-of-Italy when I get back to the States. I’d love to answer any questions you have about studying in Perugia with Umbra!

Ciao a tutti! My name is Gerardo Moceri and I am Sustainability major at Arizona State University. At the Umbra Institute I participated in the Food and Sustainability Studies program and it was such a unique experience. The class field trips, workshops, and food tastings helped us learn Italian food culture at a deeper level. Our class became very close throughout the course of the semester and I am very grateful I got to meet so many students passionate about food and sustainability. The city of Perugia is so beautiful that living in it sometimes did not feel real, especially from watching the beautiful sunsets over the countryside. The food, people, and architecture of Perugia made studying at The Umbra Institute one of the best decisions I have ever made.

My name is Miranda Singer. I am a Psychology major at Clark University and am in Umbra’s Multicultural Psychology program. I love the courses at Umbra as they are focused on more hands-on and experiential learning. The professors are extremely helpful and relatable. I love my classmates and find it easy to connect with them. I also love Umbra events like pizza night and Tandem because they are great opportunities to bond with other students. What I like most about Perugia is that living here feels like an authentic Italian experience since I am constantly surrounded by locals and it’s not a touristy city.

‘Ciao! I am a nursing major from Endicott College in Beverly, MA. During my time at the Umbra Institute, I was a part of the Food and Sustainability Studies Program, which was one of my favorite things about studying here. The workshops and field trips allowed me to get outside the classroom and delve into the culture of Italy with an interesting perspective. I was lucky to stay in this small, hilltop city — Perugia is truly a unique place with its small and hilltop. Each day is a new adventure, whether it is overcoming the language barrier at the local supermarket or stumbling across a temple from the fifth century. Living in Perugia and learning about its people could never get old (although everything is literally so old here). For these reasons and so many more, I am so thankful I had the opportunity to study abroad here!’

Hi! My name is Gabrielle Sherman and I am a student at Misericordia University majoring in Speech Language Pathology. At the Umbra Institute, I was enrolled in the General Studies Program. Choosing the Umbra Institute as my school of study while I was abroad was the best decision I had ever made! The courses were interesting, and they challenged me to go outside of my comfort zone, as well as the professors who were extremely helpful and engaging with the material. The mandatory Italian class fully prepared me for living in a country where I did not know the language at all, including how to order food and how to communicate with people that you see in town! In addition to the Italian class, I very much enjoyed Introduction to Photography and the History and Culture of Food in Italy. Overall, Perugia was an absolutely beautiful city to study in and allowed me to immerse myself in the true Italian culture that you miss out on if you study in Rome or Florence! My time in Perugia was something out of a fairytale. I found friends that became family and made memories that I will hold onto forever. In addition, while studying at the Umbra Institute, I was able to travel all over, trying new foods and meeting interesting individuals. If you are looking to find home in your study abroad experience, come to the hidden treasure that is Perugia, Italy! ​

My name is Justin Lewis and I am a Computer Science major at Arcadia University. At Umbra, I was in the Direct Enrollment program at the University for Foreigners. One of my favorite things about the Umbra Institute is their effort to improve students’ language skills like me who are interested in the full-immersion program. Also, Umbra does a great job at organizing events to help bring all of the students together, especially with free pizza. It would be impossible to list all the things I love about Perugia but one thing, in particular, is the atmosphere. Being in a small, medieval town without many other Americans or tourists is the opposite of the experience one would have in a city like Rome or Florence. While both of those are great cities, the sense of history that comes with living in Perugia is unmatched. Not to mention how many interesting locations there are to explore and amazing restaurants there are to try here in the city.

My name is Josh Wellman and I study Psychology at Penn State. My experiences at Umbra are most accurately defined by the phrase “well-rounded.” Living in a small, non-touristy town for four months allowed me to immerse myself into the Italian culture and test my classroom skills every day. Umbra is surrounded by exquisite scenery and unbelievable food. It is also a short mini-metro ride from the train station, which made life easy when we traveled on the weekends. Four months at Umbra wasn’t enough, I am jealous of the future students!

An adventurous spirit from a liberal arts college, I have always been a hands-on learner, and my experience at the Umbra Institute allowed me to embrace that completely. The challenge of adapting to Perugia where almost no one spoke English motivated me to constantly work on conquering Italian, and working with the local high school students tested my flexibility and creativity like never before. It was exactly this opportunity to involve my passion in my education that helped me flourish during my time abroad, and made me feel like I was part of the Italian culture, rather than a visitor.

I’m Sami Wright, a senior at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and I studied at Umbra for the Spring 2017 semester. During my time abroad I saw incredible art, ate insanely good food, and made friends for life. Study abroad is an experience I will NEVER forget and I want to share it with all of you!

Hello! My name is Sam Marlinga and I studied at Umbra during the spring of 2017. I’m a double major in English and Philosophy and I decided to study in Italy because I’d wanted to go ever since I was a kid. Italy is wonderful and Perugia is a unique city, but the real reason I love Umbra is the people I met here. Whether it was Professor Antonella telling us about Italian culture or learning the strange history of saints from Professor Hoch or bothering the staff with stupid travel questions, the people are truly the best part of Umbra.

I am junior at the University of Vermont majoring in Dietetics and minoring in Dance. I’m from Springfield, New Jersey, a suburb an hour from New York City. At the Umbra Institute, I was a part of the Food and Sustainability Studies program. In this program, I took three lecture and discussion based courses that included field trips and workshops related to the topics discussed in class. We visited a chocolate laboratory, a famous butchery in Tuscany, and a brewery in an old monastery. I loved living in Perugia and exploring the unique corners, shops, and views of the city.

Umbra is a great place to be if you want a small city feel and to be given the opportunity to really immerse yourself into a culture. You learn so much more when you are required to take an Italian speaking course and test your knowledge daily. Located in the center of Italy, it’s extremely easy to get to Florence and Rome for flights or just for the weekend. I was able to travel a lot, learn so many new things in and out of class. It’s been an incredible four months!

I study Art and Art History at Lebanon Valley College, and I could not have chosen a more perfect country or city to continue learning in the field. Throughout my time at Umbra and in Italy, I have engaged in the community with my Museum Studies class, traveled throughout Italy with class trips and on my own, and met some amazing people and saw incredible places along the way. I was immensely hesitant to study abroad, but I could not be more thankful for the opportunities I have had here; opportunities that I probably would not have ever had without Umbra. As an UmbrAmbassador, I want to provide others with the knowledge and encouragement to study abroad.

My name is Meghan Bille and I attend University of Colorado Boulder. I was a junior when studying abroad at Umbra. I am studying Advertising and Political Science. My time studying at Umbra and living in Perugia was the best four months of my life. While at Umbra, I was encouraged to grow as a person and learn so much about myself and the wonderful Italian culture. Umbra provided me with the perfect study abroad experience because I was able to explore Italy and the rest of Europe knowing I had a supportive team behind me. Furthermore, intellectually, Umbra provided extremely interesting courses with knowledgeable teachers.

Ciao! My name is Leah. I go to Clark University in Massachusetts and was lucky enough to have spent a spring semester studying in Perugia. The classes at Umbra are special because you get to practice what you learn. I took an education class and got to teach at Italian high schools. If you take a business class, you work with a local business. Umbra pushes students to take the skills they learn in the classroom and apply them to real life experiences. Not only have I learned about history, education, and psychology but I also gained skills that will be useful for my life after college.

Hi my name is Kelly Annese and I am a junior at UMass Amherst, studying economics and consumer behavior. I’ve loved having the opportunity to study abroad in Perugia and experience Italian culture. The scenery is stunning, the food is delicious, and Umbra has been fantastic; I couldn’t have asked for more. There is always something new to explore in Perugia, however, after a weekend of traveling it still feels like I am coming back. One of my favorite memories of Umbra has been the community engagement project. My classes have worked with a Italian hard wood floor company as well as and Umbrian winery and these projects have been a great way to become involved with the community as well as apply the concepts we have learned in class. I’ve had an amazing semester at Umbra, am I’m sure you will too!!

Hi! My name is Katherine and I am a Finance major with a Supply Chain & Information Systems Technology minor at the Pennsylvania State University. Perugia was the best decision I could have made for my study abroad semester. Unlike the big Italian cities like Rome and Florence, Perugia lets you immerse yourself in the true Italian culture. It is a smaller city that just makes you feel like your just another Italian. The mandatory Italian class is necessary in order to actually know what’s going on around you and, most importantly, be able to order the delicious food. Besides the Italian class, I took a Cinema & Cosa Nostra class, Photography class, Ceramics class, and an International Marketing class. While traveling was amazing, it was always nice to come back to good old Perugia. Umbra offers so many activities for students to participate in like tandem nights, free pizza nights, wine tasting, volunteer work, choir workshops, and many more. I hope so many more students get to experience Perugia, as it truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

My name is Jordan Linder, and I am a student at Penn State University majoring in Nutrition Science, Dietetics option and minoring in Human Development and Family Studies. Through the Food and Sustainability Studies program at The Umbra Institute, I have gained a large skill-set relevant to my future, not only as a dietitian but also as a responsible member of our global community. Studying in the city of Perugia was exactly the true cultural immersion I had wanted in my study abroad experience!

I am a senior at Penn State University studying accounting. I studied abroad in the spring of my junior year and I couldn’t have made a better decision than to study abroad in Perugia. Perugia is the perfect medieval city to really immerse yourself in the Italian culture. Not only do you develop relationships with other Umbra students, but also with the locals, which can be hard to find in other bigger cities. At Umbra I took Italian, Placemaking, Photography and Ceramics, all of which are outside my comfort zone, but that’s what study abroad is all about. My advice would be to travel as much as you can, explore everything you possibly can, and enjoy your four month carb diet, because when else in your life can you do that? I hope to be back to Perugia soon!

Ciao a tutti! I’m a Chicago native and a rising senior at Hamilton College, where I study History, Government, and Italian. I spent a full year in Perugia and it was the best absolutely experience of my life. I sampled all the programs that Umbra offers, including the direct enrollment option at the local university, which let me greatly advanced my language skills and make friends with many local and international students. Living in this small, medieval university city really allowed me to experience Italian culture and history in a way that I could not have done anywhere else.

I am a junior at Lebanon Valley College with a Studio Art and Art History major and a Philosophy and World Classics minor. I had always known I wanted to study abroad, and as an art historian aspiring to enter the field of museum work, my dream to come to Europe became more critical. Studying abroad with the Umbra Institute was the most significant decision I could have ever made. With the Umbra Institute I was able to physically experience Italy and the abundance of its visual culture beyond the classroom.

I am Victoria Caruso, a third year International Business student at Roger Williams University. I am from Yonkers, New York, and I currently participate in NCAA D3 Volleyball at my university. My family, both sides, hail from Italy as well. Here at Umbra, I was able to apply what I learned in the classroom to real life instances, through service learning projects. For my business classes, we worked with local up and coming companies to help better their businesses. For my Italian class, I was able to use the new words, verbs, phrases, etc. while out in Perugia and in other various parts of Italy. When I spoke to my Italian family, I was able to understand and communicate with them for the first time in my entire life. I was able to create new relationships with my family members who only speak Italian and I was able to strengthen old relationships because now they could understand me much better.