August 27, 2024 — Becoming immersed in a new culture can be both one of the most challenging and most rewarding things a Red Fox does while a student at Marist, developing lifelong connections and engagement across the globe.

The College’s extensive international community consists not only of students studying abroad in one of Marist's wide array of international programs, but also international students studying on campus in Poughkeepsie, reflecting the College's commitment to bring Marist to the world and the world to Marist.

Inside Marist spoke with four students: two from the U.S. studying abroad in Italy, and two students originally from Italy who study in the U.S., to get their take on academic and cultural life, exploration of a new home, humorous misunderstandings, and more!

Sophia Spagna '25 grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. Sophia started as a First-Year Florence Experience student, and transferred to the bachelor’s degree program in her second year. She is a fashion merchandising major with a concentration in fashion promotion.

Samantha “Sam” Riviezzo '25 is from Wolcott, Connecticut, and transferred to the Florence bachelor’s degree program as a sophomore. She majors in global marketing communications.

Flavia “Vi” Geraci '26 is from Cortona, Italy, a town about 90 minutes from Florence. She lives on campus in Poughkeepsie and her major is digital media with a concentration in graphic design.

Mattia Mugeri '26 is originally from Italy, although he spent much of his upbringing in Hong Kong, where he attended an international school—a grade school for expatriate students. He also lives on campus in Poughkeepsie, majoring in computer science with a concentration in game design.

Why was living/going to school internationally something you were interested in?

Sophia: Throughout high school, I was very interested in different cultures and I really wanted to travel. So when I was applying to colleges, I found Marist’s first year abroad program and I really wanted to do it, and I liked it so much I went back.

Sam: I've always wanted to live abroad and I've always felt the pull to Italy. I'm Italian-American, so that was part of it, too.

Vi: When I was younger, I was raised with the mentality of dreaming bigger. So when I was in high school, I decided to do a semester abroad in Texas, and I loved it. So I thought I would try for college too. What better way to dream big in life than to study abroad?

Mattia: I knew that the U.S. was very popular, especially for computer science. It's a very good place for studying even if I don't end up working in the U.S.

How have you found adapting to your host country? What has been more easy or more difficult than you expected?

Sophia: It's an adjustment coming from the United States where we have stores like Target and all these very accessible things. In Italy it's a little bit different—going to different stores for different groceries, for instance—but once you get the hang of it, it's not too difficult of a switch.

Sam: I think it was a bit easier than I had expected. I had already lived in New York City, away from my parents, so I had that stepping stone. But when I got to Florence it ran pretty smoothly and I made friends pretty quickly.

Vi: Since I had been in Texas already, it was more about getting used to the differences. Because when you come to the United States from elsewhere, you kind of lump all 50 states together. But then once you move here, you realize that it's very different depending on where you are.

Mattia: I grew up around a lot of international students, so coming to Marist was interesting because I became immersed in the United States culture. It was a bit hard to adjust, but then some things were easier too. People are relatable, and it’s easy to tag along and find groups here.

Do you have a favorite spot to go to either on your own or with friends?

Sophia: There's a cafe called Simbiosi a two-minute walk down my street. All the staff there are so sweet. They all know me. I can just go there to do homework or just to sit on the couch in the back with a nice cappuccino. I love that place.

Sam: The Boboli Gardens. I live a five-minute walk from it. I have an annual pass I bought for my birthday this year that I can just show them and walk in, so I feel like a celebrity. I'll take a book with me or listen to music. It's so large, there's always a new spot to sit. So, it’s comforting but it's also ever-changing.

Vi: I love to go to the Hudson River on the little docks. I also love the student center. I remember my first year sitting there it was so fun because you see so many people and everybody stops to say hi to you. Even people you don't know say hi. I made so many friends just by sitting in the student center.

Mattia: I like to go into New York City with my friends. Every so often we go to Chinatown and try and find the best restaurant. We went for Chinese New Year, for instance, and just ate dim sum and enjoyed time together. It’s really nice. It reminds me of home.

What are the most important/impactful things you learned while studying in a different country?

Sophia: I've had so many experiences that have matured me a lot. I remember being on the New York City subway alone a few years ago and being so anxious, and then last weekend I was traveling by myself on a train in another country. I've learned to trust myself.

Sam: I’m still my introverted self, but I feel a lot more comfortable and confident. I've been to 15 countries in the past two years. I used to be scared to talk in front of classes of 15 people. Now I go talk to people in languages that neither of us speak and somehow have conversations. 

Vi: Sometimes when you're in a different country where no one is from your family, it feels a little lonely. I feel like once you get comfortable with being lonely, you find a new version of yourself. You find how strong you are. You realize you have so many skills that you didn't know that you had.

Mattia: There are 8 billion people on the planet—hundreds of countries, thousands of different languages, and millions of things to do. Based on my experience I've learned that no matter how nice one place is, you have to go somewhere else to explore outside your own little corner, and learn what things are like.

What is something you like most about your host country, and what is something you miss most about your home country?

Sophia: What I like about Italy is definitely the history. Florence is the core of the Renaissance. It blows my mind sometimes. I’ll think, “This is where Michelangelo actually worked!” On the other hand, I'd have to say I miss the newness of, for example, my apartment in the U.S., which was built in 2020. Whereas everything here is very old.

Sam: I love the food, and the culture around food. For example, waiters at restaurants are so passionate that it makes it more exciting. I definitely miss my friends and family. Every once in a while it hits me: “I wish I was there” or “I wish I was seeing this”—certain holidays and little things like that.

Vi: I think that people in the U.S. want to make friends more than back home. They want to go to the city, study together, do this and that. It creates a tight community. What I miss about home is how everything fits in the right spots. It feels more natural. You're more familiar with things. 

Mattia: The amount of people in the U.S. who’ve told me their passport expired was surprising to me at first. I didn't really understand how people seemed less interested in seeing the world than I was used to. But then I realized that people here are very focused and committed to what they enjoy. I've learned that this focus can be a good thing. Something I miss—it’s very niche—is the public transport. In Hong Kong we have a railway network that is top of the line. You can cross the entire city for less than $1.

If you were to write a survival guide for future students studying abroad in your host country, what would be your top tips?

Sophia: Definitely learn some Italian. On my first day I got lost and I had no data for my phone yet. I walked into a print shop and they spoke no English at all. So learning some Italian would be useful. Two other useful tips are don't order cappuccinos after noon. And don't order parmesan cheese with fish. Just don't do that.

Sam: Don’t come too prepared. I think when a lot of students come with a certain mindset of what they want to do and see it kind of limits them. It's usually the times that you don’t expect that end up being the most fun. I would also say try new foods. Food that we think is Italian in the U.S. actually is Italian American. The cuisine here is so much larger than that. And finally I would say traveling around is great, but make sure to leave time for exploring the city you’re living in.

Vi: If you're scared to do something, it's an indicator that you should do it. Worst case, you’ll have a funny story to tell. Second, just walk around and do things. Whenever you’re bored, just go somewhere. I made so many friends that way. And last, remember that the U.S. reverses the date and month, so be careful about when your food expires!

Mattia: Find all of the places where you can buy food that reminds you of home. And be open to change. Find the people that are local and that you can learn new things from. But also find your comfort group. The same way you find people that share your hobbies, you have to find people that share your cultures.

What's the funniest or most memorable cultural misunderstanding you've experienced while abroad?

Sophia: I was missing the U.S. so I decided to get some American coffee. There was a blackboard outside a cafe that said “American coffee” so I walked in and asked the lady, “Can I can I get an American coffee?” And she bursts out laughing, “An American coffee for the American, oh so funny!” The phone rang, so she picked up the phone, talked, and then put down the phone and continued laughing again!

Sam: I talk with my hands a lot and I made a gesture and my Italian friend was like, “never do that again.” I think it was just like, something like slightly offensive. But she said, “take it back.” And I was like, “what did I do?”

Vi: My friends and I were walking past Champagnat and they saw a bunk bed through one of the windows. One of my friends, for some reason, screamed, “bunk bed!” I didn’t know what bunk bed meant, so I got scared. My friend next to me—she's also international—she said, “oh my god, what happened?” I was like, “I don't know, there's a bunk bed!“ And she grabbed my hand and she ran with me away from it. It was really funny.

Mattia: The first time I ever went to the cinema, the movie started at 7:00. I’m thinking, alright, let's be there at 6:50. Then my friends said, “No, we're getting there at 7:30.” And I said I don’t want to miss the first 30 minutes! And they said, “No, it's because the movie starts at 7:30 and there's 30 minutes of ads before that.” It was just completely nonsensical to me.