La Comunita' degli Italiani - St Louis, which represents around 1500 Italians in the St Louis metropolitan region has partnered with Saint Louis University's Italian Club and Italian Studies program led by Professor Simone Bregni.

Saint Louis University has a very large study abroad program in Italy and Club Italiano Per Piacere as well as the St Louis - Bologna Sister Cities Organization are now involved in sponsoring these programs as well as creating events for SLU students. Below is an interview with Gabrielle, a senior at Saint Louis University who recently studied in Sorrento, Italy. Her trip was sponsored by the Italian community (Comunita' degli Italiani - St Louis).

"Ciao a tutti! My name is Gabrielle and I am a Senior here at SLU. In Spring 2018 I had the opportunity to study abroad at Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy. Sorrento is a smaller coastal town in the Campania region that is also known as a gateway to the Amalfi Coast. The location of this program is also quite amazing; it's only a short train ride to Naples or Pompeii, a short bus ride to Amalfi or Positano, and it's extremely easy to take a ferry to Capri for a quick day trip! However, there are so many other great places to see in and around Sorrento, my favorite getaway was Bagni della Regina Giovana.

The university, Sant'Anna, is another spectacle in itself. The campus is located on the seaside cliffs giving students breathtaking panoramic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Studying at Sant'Anna, gives students the ability to take a short five minute walk to Marina Grande and the small beach located at its' pier. Many interesting and fun classes are also offered at Sant'Anna, one of my favorite courses ended up being my Marine Biology course which allowed students to really study the Mediterranean Sea by going on kayaking and snorkeling excursions where students collected data on the marine life living around Sorrento. We also had the opportunity to visit a turtle rescue center and learn about the great work that they did to protect the turtles (and other marine life) in the region.

Overall, I can easily say that I loved every second of my time spent in Sorrento and would recommend this program for anyone looking for a place off the beaten path to explore."