A new perspective can change absolutely everything. As a Pacific Northwest native, I feel a constant need to understand the experience of those encountering Seattle for the first time, whether they are coming from Portland or Portugal. I’ve seen that we can learn so much more about ourselves when viewed by those with a completely different frame of reference.

Lea Bressan and Carlotta Caravita are two such people, studying abroad at UW spring quarter from northern Italy. Both studying economics management at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (UNI-BZ), they’re here because of a partner program between UW and UNI-BZ.