One of the best things about study abroad in a smaller program like CEA is that each student has the opportunity to personally bond with the staff. Here at CEA Rome, we are very lucky to have staff members who are genuinely interested in the students and in providing us with the best possible experience abroad. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to one of our many fantastic staff members before I have to leave them behind this weekend.
Andrea Massini is the housing coordinator here in Rome, a position which he has held for the past year and a half. He is primarily in charge of mediating between the students, the housing agencies, and the landlords involved with the CEA program, though he also has certain administrative tasks at the GC and helps coordinate and chaperone student activities. He originally comes from Viareggio, a part of Tuscany, and holds a BA in the history of the Catholic Church and an MA in human resources. During the beginning of his career, Andrea worked in a home for addicted persons and later as a headhunter and trainer for new managers. When he moved to Rome a couple years ago, he decided to invest more heavily in working with the English language and its speakers, a job market which has become very lucrative here in Italy, and sent a resume to CEA where he was quickly accepted. Andrea says that, although he has held numerous and varied positions over the years, the thing which has tied all of his work together has been the chance to work closely with many different kinds of people. It comes as no surprise, then, that his favorite part of working at the GC has been getting to know the students he works with every semester. If you ever have the chance to visit Rome, Andrea personally recommends taking a tour of Rome's historical center which he believes in the most important thing the city has to offer; he says it speaks strongly to the greatness of Rome and of Italy in the world's history.
Like Andrea, the entirety of the CEA Rome staff is dedicated to ensuring that students have every chance to make the most of their study abroad experiences. They are always available to us if we need help, information, suggestions, or even just someone to talk with for a while. They have been an invaluable gift to myself and the other students during our time here and I am sure we all will miss the personal relationships we've built with them as we return home.
Thank you, CEA Rome Staff!!
Check in tomorrow to read about the Slow Food movement in Italy and later in the week (probably Friday), I'll introduce you to an Italian documentary and film maker who visited CEA this semester. A domani!
By Caitlin Smith
University of Maryland, Baltimore County