Before my first year of college, I never thought that I would eventually major in a foreign language. Now, in the middle of my sophomore year, I am a double major in Italian Studies and International Studies. How did this happen? Well, my interest in the Italian language in combination with support from professors and active involvement in the Italian club led me to an eventual path towards obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in the famous European language. 

I decided to sign up for Italian 101 the summer before my first year because of my Italian roots. Most of my great-great grandparents immigrated from Italy to the United States at the turn of the 20 Century. My one set of grandparents are decently conversational in Italian, but neither my parents nor my sister and I learned the language. I was eager to pursue this opportunity since my high school only offered Spanish, French and Latin.