MILAN — It wasn’t Lauren Morrow’s first time traveling abroad. The University of Nebraska at Kearney senior has spent time at all-inclusive resorts in the Bahamas and Cancún, Mexico. Those family vacations are fun, but you don’t get to truly experience the culture, she noted.
Morrow was looking for a chance to really explore a foreign country and dive deeper into its history, cuisine and customs. That’s why she signed up for a study abroad trip to Milan, Italy. A psychobiology major in the pre-physician assistant program, Morrow, her younger sister, Elizabeth, and six other UNK students recently traveled to the fashion and design capital of the world for a three-week experience they’ll never forget.
Morrow called it an “eye-opening” opportunity. UNK students participate in a cooking class during a recent study abroad trip to Italy. “Everyone should experience something like this,” the Grand Island native said.
A partnership with the University Institute of Modern Languages (IULM), which focuses on workforce development and cultural preparation, the annual summer program is open to UNK undergraduate students from any academic area. Participants stayed at a nearby college and took classes at IULM covering topics such as Italian history, language and religion, architecture, fashion and design, and food and wine. “Pretty much every aspect of Italian culture is incorporated into the three-week program,” said Rebecca Nelson, UNK associate professor of teac.