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Since 1991 a small but constant number of SUF students have chosen the Option III program, achieving excellent results in their studies. Art history, modern and ancient literature, cinema, museology, international relations, sociology, the history of the Catholic church, the history of Italy and of Europe, contemporary Italy, and the history of the Italian language are just some of the many subjects students can study at the University of Florence. Says SU Florence Prof. Antonella Francini, Options III Coordinator, “Students walk in, still dazed by their choice and wondering why they have chosen to put themselves so far out of their comfort zone. Things start to settle down and smiles begin to appear on students’ faces when they meet their Italian tutors, scholars who guide SUF students through the semester, helping them to prepare for class and for the final exams.” As students begin attending class at the University of Florence, they slowly come to realize that American and Italian students are not so very different after all. The unfamiliar becomes less so, and students find themselves in the middle of a fascinating semester of study abroad, seen from a very different perspective. Option III is a an important opportunity for students who know the Italian language at the advanced level and are willing to challenge themselves in an unfamiliar academic environment.

Lombardo adds, “This program is an eye-opening opportunity for any student interested in Italian and European studies. I was nervous at first because of the language difference but I found the students and professors very helpful and kind, and I made a lot of friends. My tutors were incredible: they changed the experience because I had someone to count on and to help me on a one-to-one level.”

Comments Dr. Simona Trombetta, a history tutor for Option III students, “A tutor’s task is not only that of serving as a link between SUF and the University of Florence. As scholars we are mediators of both our discipline and our culture. The one-to-one relationship with students allows us to experience a different way of teaching and a different way of approaching our subject matter, which enriches us professionally and personally.” Dr. Angela Romano, who tutored Lombardo in History of International Relations says. “It is fascinating and rewarding to be able to introduce an American student to a discipline which I love and that is the subject of my scholarly research.”

Prof. Massimiliano Guderzo, who coordinates the Option III agreement for the Facoltà di Scienze Politiche comments, “SUF students have adjusted brilliantly in our courses, benefiting from faculty who have introduced them to the most recent methodologies and scientific debate in the field of political sciences. SUF students’ participation in seminars and conferences, their cooperation with the tutors, and their full immersion in the life of our facoltà have put them in close contact with Italian academic life. The Italian professors are extremely pleased with the engagement of SUF students in the program, as well as with the academic results they consistently obtain.”