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When you reflect on your time in college, can you recall an event that truly changed the way you saw yourself and the world? For 15 lucky UT students, the answer is easy. Garry Menendez, professor in Plant Science, led a study abroad experience for 16 days in May through the iconic and glorious gardens of Italy, as well as the picturesque countryside and numerous large and small cities. The adventure began in Rome and then proceeded through Tivoli, Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Lago Maggiore, Lago di Como, Verona and finished in breathtaking Venice. This was the seventh such adventure for Garry Menendez, and he has plans to keep the memories coming as he is finalizing an itinerary through Scotland and England for late July and early August 2014.

One student says, “This trip was truly an investment because I gained so much from it. It has been said that you remember the things you do more than the physical possessions you receive or have. Therefore, my trip to Italy was money well-spent because this was surely the trip of a lifetime.”

Menendez mentions that this experience for so many diverse students (12 different majors represented) would not have been possible without the help from the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources and the Department of Plant Sciences. “For a few students, this was their first experience with flying, let alone venturing out of the country. An experience like this really changes lives and how students see not only the world, but more importantly themselves,” Menendez states.

S O U R C E:

“Learning in Italy,” UT CASNR Chronicle, Summer 2013