Ali Alikhan
Which grant that you received do you want to talk about?
Undergraduate Language Grant
What language did you study and why?
Italian because my both SIGP and JR programs took place in Italy
What program did you attend and why did you choose it?
I attended an intensive Italian course at Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci in Florence
Describe your experience doing summer language study. Was it tricky? How do you think your language skills improved?
In the span of 8 weeks, from the beginner level I was able to get to intermediate. It was a very fun and culturally immersive experience as well. I traveled around Tuscany, visiting alpaca farm, vineyards, Florentine mosaic, Italian leather artisan houses, castles, museums, and even learned how to make pasta from scratch.
Did intensive summer language study change or solidify any of your future goals? If so, how?
Yes, it definitely made me narrow down what kind of reporting I would like to do in terms of my career, also I realized that I would most probably move to Europe after graduation.
Do you have any tips or advice for students similar to you that are interested in pursing intensive language study?
Don’t be afraid of making friends with teachers, staff and your host family. Usually, connections like that make you practice your language skills and open so many new opportunities.
What would you name a boat if you had one?
Wonder
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
Cooking and baking
If your (speaking) voice were an instrument, what do you think it would be?
Violin
What was your favorite childhood story (written, spoken, or film)?
Harry Potter
What was a memorable interaction that you had on campus this week?
We had a Pulitzer Prize guest speaker