Explore the Wonders of Florence, Italy
Gonzaga-in-Florence Parents:
By: Jason Houston, Director, Gonzaga-in-Florence
When I was young, my parents were presented with an idea: friends of our family, a “worldly” Chilean couple, offered to take my brother and I to France for 3 weeks. My parents would need to buy the plane tickets but, after that, Oscar and Clara would house, feed, and show two young kids an experience of their lifetime. My parents, who had never traveled abroad, somehow understood that this opportunity was more valuable than the price of the plane tickets or the missed time at school. Those three weeks in France, had a profound, positive impact on my life (and that of my brother). So much so, that our careers now are directly related to that first “study abroad” experience.
As a parent to two young ones, I know that I have the chance to influence the path my children will embark on: it is a great thrill and a great responsibility of parenting. I hope that my eyes are open wide enough to see opportunity for my children, as my parents did.
As the new Director of Gonzaga University’s campus in Florence, Italy, I take immense pride and pleasure in providing a safe, stimulating, and rich learning experience for your student, who you have supported in their choice to study abroad for a semester or year (or even just for the summer) in Florence, Italy. Because of my first trip to Europe with Oscar and Clara, I have dedicated my entire professional life to learning and living in Italy. I find the culture endlessly fascinating—from the visible history to the bella vita of modern Italy—and thus, I am dedicated to showing today’s students the best of the culture that has so enlivened by own mind and soul.
At Gonzaga-in-Florence, we excel at providing a variety of activities that immerse our students in the Italian language and culture. While we offer a full range of classes that you can also find on campus in Spokane, we make sure that each and every class has elements that make it unique to our Italian context. Business students intern in the local fashion industry and visit the Lamborghini factory; Art History students get to see art in private homes that the Uffizi gallery would buy and hang, if they could; Law students meet with the highest ranking judges and magistrates in all of Tuscany. I could go on and on. From their living quarters and meals to their extra-curricular activities (and let’s not forget the famous Opening Tour), we craft a learning and living experience custom made for undergraduate students in the Jesuit tradition.
If your student is already a part of the Gonzaga-in-Florence community, as a current, future, or past student, then I thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know your Zag. It is also my profound hope that you noticed changes in them: more “worldly,” more open to differences and new knowledge, and more engaged in the world around them. If your student is new to Gonzaga, then I hope that, with your guidance and support, they will look into Gonzaga-in-Florence for a summer, semester, or year. It would be our pleasure to guide them on their journey, and it would be my pleasure to show them the Italy that I know and love.