By Lilian Crawford
Studying Italian has been one of the most unexpectedly meaningful parts of my college career. When I first enrolled in Italian, I was simply looking to fulfill a world language requirement for my major, but I quickly fell in love with the language. The courses that were once academic obligations became one of my favorite times of the week, and I continued signing up for Italian classes even after finishing my major requirements.
During my sophomore year, my professor recommended that I use the skills I learned in the classroom to study abroad in Rome for a semester. I am so thankful that she pushed me to travel to Italy because it was easily the best experience of my life.
While I was living in Rome, I began to gain a deeper understanding of what a gift language is and how it connects people. As I stumbled through my broken Italian, I found that people were so quick to befriend me just because I tried to speak with them in their native tongue. I learned that speaking Italian or any new language isn’t about perfection, but intentionality and a desire to communicate deeply with others.
I will always be grateful that the experience of learning Italian was part of my college years.