Lily Kinyon, a double major in Political Science and International Studies with a focus in Italian and Environmental Studies received a scholarship from the Seattle-Perugia Sister City Association to study Italian in Perugia, Italy this summer.
Lily chose to study Italian for her major in the Jackson School of International Studies as she has always loved Italy and felt "inexplicably drawn to Italian." Lily has always found the history, the culture, the environment of Italy deeply fascinating and going to Italy to study Italian is "truly a dream come true" she says.
The study abroad program is funded and facilitated by the Seattle-Perugia Sister City Association and its donors. With their support Lily is studying Italian for a month at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, which is considered the oldest and most prestigious national institution engaged in the teaching, research and promotion of the Italian language. The program is a month-long immersive language experience that focuses on complete cultural immersion combined with intensive language study focusing on speaking, listening, and pronunciation.
Lily completed the first year of Italian this past spring at UW and says "Italian is easily her favorite class". After struggling with the language courses and instruction she had in high school level and thinking she "was naturally awful at languages", she has been ""so happy and impressed" with the language education she has received at UW and feels she can "truly learn the language". Studying Italian brings her so much joy and she is now confident that continuing in this course of study will not only "be personally fulfilling but also professionally helpful" as she hopes to work abroad in her career.