Renee Anderson
Emerson College
Major: Broadcast Journalism
Urbino Experience: I participated in this program to gain experience with foreign reporting and immerse myself in Italian culture.
Abigail Barefoot
Iowa State University
Major: Double major in Journalism and Mass Communication and Women’s Studies with a minor in Political Science.
Urbino Experience: The best experience of the trip was learning how to work with translators for our story. Not only did I learn great techniques for my journalism career, but I developed a great friendship with my translator.
Grant Bell
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Digital Video & Cinema
Minors: Film Studies and Creative Writing
Urbino Experience: I came to Urbino to gain professional and cultural experiences by creating a short documentary on the local life and interacting with the Italian culture. The lessons I’ve learned, both in terms of media and journalism, as well as living in a foreign country, are priceless and will never be forgotten.
Kailah Bharath
Ryerson University
Major: Journalism
Urbino Experience: I have had the opportunity to see some beautiful sights and meet some incredible people in Urbino. Through the reporting process, I was able to delve deep into a local’s life, which has added such great value to my Italy experience as well as my journalistic skills. I’m leaving Italy with my heart full and a renewed motivation to go as far as I can in my career as a journalist.
Robert Boag
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Converged Media
Minor: Political Science
Urbino Experience: I signed up for this trip because I wanted to get my feet wet in other types of story telling mediums, specifically video and print. This experience has been extremely rewarding and has made me more confident using new mediums to tell stories as well as improve my use of photography. I made a lot of great friends and mentors during this program that I hope to keep in contact with over the coming years.
Genevieve Bryan
Westminster College
Major: Communication
Urbino Experience: I originally came to Urbino to study documentary style photography and videography, but I am leaving with much broader lessons learned that I never could have anticipated. I have absolutely loved learning the language and experiencing the culture of this beautiful city through unique experiences I will never forget.
Jared Carpenter
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Declared
Urbino Experience: I didn’t fully know what to expect when I arrived in Urbino, but what I found was certainly better than anything I could have anticipated. Urbino is a unique blend of a rich cultural past with a modern-day college scene that provided an experience like no other.
Sarah Cumming
The University of the South
Major: American Studies
Urbino Experience: I have grown fathoms as a journalist and photographer in Urbino, thanks to our professors striking a balance between challenging us and letting us have a great time. I will miss this magical place and our own wonderful motley crew. Every day sitting in the main piazza and watching the lively scene unfold before me has been an education in itself.
Kerri DeVries
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Corporate Communication
Minor: Studio Art
Urbino Experience: Studying abroad in Urbino has been an amazing experience and I have learned so much from the faculty and from my peers. On the weekends I have had the chance to travel to other parts of Italy with students from the program and we have enjoyed learning more about the culture and the language that we have been immersed in for the past month.
Kristina Elliott
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design
Urbino Experience: I have loved being in Urbino. The small historic town has given me a new journalism experience that I will never forget.
Kenneth Foo
Nanyang Technological University
Major: Communication Studies
Minor: English Literature
Urbino Experience: The experience of overseas reporting at a small renaissance Italian town like Urbino, has been exhilarating. Experiencing its sights and sounds, gaining new journalistic skills and working with local translators. What more can one ask for?
Dorian Geiger
University of British Columbia
Major: English Literature
Urbino Experience:The Urbino Project was truly one of the most diverse experiences of my life that will remain a highlight of my journalism career. As a Canadian, it was fascinating to interact with Italians and their rich culture, but I also learned a great deal from my American colleagues and supervisors, too. Skills were forged, and memories made. While in Urbino, I pursued one of the most interesting stories of my career, which involved me reporting on Italian exorcist culture and documenting the daily life of a Vatican-appointed exorcist for ieiMedia’s online webzine. This program is for anyone who wants to take their journalism skills and perspective to the next level.
Olivia Gordon
Louisiana State University
Major: Mass Communications – Broadcast Journalism
Minors: Italian, Theater Performance
Urbino Experience: Studying in Urbino has provided me with the opportunity to practice and improve my Italian while still being immersed in a challenging and stimulating journalism experience. I’ve learned so much about reporting, photography and walking on cobblestone streets. I’m excited to take all of my experiences.
Ola Mazzuca
Ryerson University
Major: Journalism
Urbino Experience: Back and forth between cobblestone hills, carrying multiple bags of heavy equipment, understanding Italian yet speaking very little and wandering Urbino to capture that perfectly lit photograph, amongst other things, have created what has been one of the most beautifully challenging experiences of my life. It is the drive one has to find intrigue, delve into depth and document a story the whole world wants to read. Living, learning and working in Urbino has been more than discovering the stories of others, but an opportunity to unearth the growth within oneself.
Caroline McGraw
James Madison University
Major: Communication Studies
Urbino Experience: Urbino has taught me a wide variety of things; not only in classes, but in interacting with people whom I otherwise would not have the chance to get to know. The new and exciting experiences mixed with the challenges that a new culture and course bring have made for an extremely rewarding month.
Mojan Nourbakhsh
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Digital Video & Cinema and Hospitality Management
Minor: Sociology
Urbino Experience: This program has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve learned a lot, met some amazing people and fallen in love with the city of Urbino.
Steve Odorczyk
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Corporate Communication
Urbino Experience: Urbino has been amazing. I came to study video production, but have learned so much more than that. Both inside and outside the classroom, this trip has immersed me in a brand new cultural experience that I will never forget.
Addie Olson
Iowa State University
Major: Journalism and Political Science
Urbino Experience: I came to Urbino to broaden my skill set and learn more about foreign reporting. My time here has definitely given me insight on what it takes to be a successful journalist in a foreign country.
Cara Prodanovich
James Madison University
Major: Communication Studies – Public Relations
Urbino Experience: I came to Urbino to learn multimedia skills such as video and photography that I wouldn’t normally be taught through PR classes.
Jennifer Stafford
Emerson College
Major: Broadcast Journalism.
Urbino Experience: I attend Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. I participated in the multimedia reporting section of the Urbino Project and got a taste for what it means to be a foreign correspondent in the town of Urbino, Italy.
Martin Steger
James Madison University
Major: Media Arts & Design – Digital Video & Cinema and Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication.
Urbino Experience: I came to Urbino to fulfill the last course I needed to graduate. It wasn’t a bad way to go out.
Catherine Threlkeld
Louisana State University
Major: Journalism
Minor: Chinese
Urbino Experience: I work at LSU’s daily student newspaper and hopefully will continue in journalism for the rest of my life. I decided to come to IEIMedia’s Urbino Program to expand my journalistic repertoire and practice foreign reporting.
Cassie Thunhorst
Iowa State University
Major: Undecided
Urbino Experience: While I learned many things about journalism, photography, and video production in Urbino, I also gained a perspective I did not expect. I sincerely appreciate the Italian friends that I made who were willing to stumble through broken conversation and moments of confusion to show me the city, the culture, and the lifestyle of the people here in Urbino. It was a fantastic combination of hard work and adventure.
Gregory Wahler
James Madison University
Major: Communication Studies
Matt Wettengel
Iowa State University
Major: Journalism & Mass Communication and Communication Studies
Urbino Experience: I wanted to come to Urbino to broaden my skills as a journalist and learn to effectively tell stories through different media.
Yue Wu
Iowa State University
Major: Journalism and Mass Communication
Urbino Experience:People here know how to live, and I like it.
Reporters
Urbino Now Magazine
