Danielle Guida, Col ’21

“All these experiences have given me a well-rounded education and prepared me for my life after graduation… I know that I will remain in contact with my amazing professors, and I cannot wait to return to Italy one day.”

I didn’t feel Italian until I was twelve years old. Of course, I knew my last name was Italian and that my great-grandparents had immigrated from Italy. However, no one in my family continued speaking the language and I did not consider that aspect of my history to be a major part of my own identity. That completely changed in seventh grade, when I had to choose which foreign language to begin learning and was happily surprised to see Italian as an option at my middle school. Once I started studying the language and the culture, everything clicked for me and I completely fell in love. I felt more connected to my grandparents and their stories about their parents when they were still in Italy.

After those first few classes in middle school, I knew I would spend the rest of my life learning about all things Italy. I continued taking Italian courses through high school and wanted to continue in college. In fact, the first class I ever took at Georgetown was Advanced Italian with Professor Musti. Ever since that first day, I knew I made the right decision to major in Italian, as well as pursue a second major in Economics. In the last four years, I have taken a diverse range of courses with almost every incredible professor in the Department. I got to read Renaissance poetry with Professor Benedetti, watch classic films like Paisà and Bicycle Thieves with Professor Cicali, and even translate a book from Italian to English with Professor Melucci.

Ever since I was twelve, I dreamed of finally going to Italy for myself and putting my studies to use. My professors helped me make the decision to spend my entire junior year studying abroad at the University of Bologna. Although my time there was cut short due to the pandemic, I made life-changing friendships and memories in Bologna and really felt like a true Italian living in the home city of cultural staples such as tortellini, lasagna, and Maserati.

After I came back from Bologna, I began writing my Senior Honors Thesis with the invaluable mentorship of Professor Cicali. Thanks to him, I was able to combine my interests in film, economics, and Italian culture by researching several Italian films from the 1950s and 1960s and analyzing their use of Milan as a setting to explore the effects of the Italian economic miracle. I never expected to have an opportunity to challenge myself like this and become immersed in a topic that incorporated all of my passions. I am so thankful to Professor Cicali for his help and to the entire Italian Department for supporting me for four years—even when I was on the other side of the world.

All these experiences have given me a well-rounded education and prepared me for my life after graduation where I will be working as a financial analyst in New York City. I know that I will remain in contact with my amazing professors, and I cannot wait to return to Italy one day. To any student considering taking a course in the Italian Department, I cannot recommend it highly enough. No matter your future career plans or whether you have family ties to Italy, studying Italian is such a positive experience that will enrich all aspects of your life.