See the Friends of the Italian Program
Alumni: Student Success Stories and Career Paths
The Italian major provides solid foundations for a variety of career paths by offering training in the Italian language, literature, cinema, and humanistic culture by and large. According to a recent departmental survey, our alumni include physicians (emergency medicine, geriatrics, dermatology), a defense attorney, a humanities college professor, a high-school teacher, a fashion designer, an independent food business owner, a diplomatic service employee, a professional artist, and more.
2022
Arianna Guadagnoli, B.A./B.S.
Italian and Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
I wanted to pursue an Italian major at UC Davis to further immerse myself in my ancestor's language and culture. Although it can be difficult to put maximum effort into assignments and readings, especially during midterms/finals, the knowledge you learn from your university coursework is priceless. Pursuing a second major, especially one that is radically different from the other, has some incredible benefits, including opening you up to a variety of new classes and experiences that you would not have otherwise had access to, widening your scope of knowledge. I am currently using the knowledge and skills I learned as an Italian major to teach children about Italian language and culture as an international school teacher.
2021
Mary Quilici, B.A./B.S.
Italian and Biological Sciences
I became interested in majoring in Italian due to the fact that my family is originally from Lucca, Tuscany. I wanted to further my education on my Italian culture, history and language, and to celebrate my heritage. UC Davis' Italian program provided me a fully enriched experience in which I was able to achieve these goals and grow in my Italian community.
During my time in the Italian department, some of my favorite memories are from working as the president of CIAO club and the peer advisor for the Italian department. I loved working with the students in our department in such a close and unique way that allowed us all to become active members of our community while in undergrad. I was able to host cooking nights, Italian movie nights, conversational lunches, raffles, and numerous events with our students to help them grow at UC Davis.
I am currently a dental student studying at the University of the Pacific Dental School in San Francisco. There are a number of patients who cannot speak English, and it is an honor to be able to use my knowledge of Italian to help treat them. I have patients who speak Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French, and I am able to use the skillset I gained in undergrad to translate what they need and speak back to them in a manner they understand.
Another area in which I am able to use my knowledge of the Italian language and culture is in my work as a board member of the Italian COMITES located in San Francisco. Our group works with the Italian consulate to provide guidance and support to Italians who have the goal of working, living, or studying in the United States. We also support Italian Americans who want to become involved in their communities and build up a strong foundation for Italian American groups in their areas.
I believe my Italian major along with my biological sciences major truly provided me the perfect balance of culture, art, literature and science. Don't be afraid to get involved with your community, and I hope you consider adding Italian as a major (I promise you won't regret it!)
Lauren Watson, B.A./B.S.
Italian and Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity
I knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian, but being constantly deluged with STEM and isolated from my other academic interests led me to explore double majors. I fell in love with the community, the faculty and fellow students, and the material, and I felt compelled to pursue a second bachelor's degree in Italian.
Be unafraid to explore. You can always change your major if you don't like it (and then change it again!) You can pursue another language or skill at any age. You will never regret going abroad, but you will almost definitely regret not going.
Aida Morgan-Russell, B.A.
Italian and Medieval and Early Modern Studies
I majored in Italian and medieval and early modern studies while attending UC Davis. I’m currently a third mate on a tall ship. We do educational sail training for high school and college students. I’m considering school in Italian studies in the future. My greatest take away from Davis was my study abroad opportunity. I thought it was marvelous and really helped me grow my confidence in my language skills as well as personal skills. My last year of classes were my favorite, I learned it was well worth it to wait for upper division literature discussions in class.
Study abroad! If you want to work on your language skills while abroad though, you really have to work hard to find the right opportunities: it’s easy to get stuck speaking English with your UCD cohort, and even with the locals. Also, learn to use the library and really get comfortable looking for the sources you want. There are some fantastic (and free) resources to which UCD can grant you access if you know they’re available and how to reach them! Speaking to a reference librarian is a great place to start.
2020
Gabriela Gomes, B.A.
Italian and Economics
While attending UCD I was a double major in Italian and Economics. I moved back to Brazil a little while after I graduated and since it was in the middle of the pandemic I took a bit of time off to enjoy my family. This year, I started working as a translator while I'm getting ready to apply for grad school. To me, the main takeaway was, as cliche as it sounds: Don't be afraid to try new things, even if they seem hard. That's how I ended up double majoring instead of minoring in Italian. Also, take advantage of the courses that the department offers! I took a class in Italian translation with Professor Subialka that helps me tremendously with my translating gigs now, even if I'm working with other languages. Enjoy your time on campus and get to know the professors, they are the best!
Caroline Kreins, B.A.
Italian and English
I was a double major in Italian and English while attending UCD. I have a multitude of takeaways from my time in the Italian department. The accessibility to professors and the relationships I was able to build with my professors was something I will always cherish. The intellectual rigor of the courses within the major translated to my ability to think critically in other areas of my life (since I had to come up with new modes of completely digesting the material, as it was in a foreign language). I was also a peer tutor and that experience is something that was another major takeaway for me. My advice to current and incoming students would be to go to office hours and get to know the professors. They are all such phenomenal professors and people, and I think it is incredibly beneficial for students to go speak with them about any questions they might have or just in general to discuss the material for fun! I would also suggest that students practice their oral speaking skills by continually participating in in-class discussions, talking to professors, talking to student tutors, or even fellow classmates - it is helpful to keep those skills sharp! (I wish I had practiced a bit more after I graduated in 2020, because now I need to refocus my oral speaking in an attempt to apply to international law internships based in Italy!)
Ashley Lord, B.A.
Italian and English
I was a double major in Italian and English. I through Italian would be a fun language to explore. Take the time to make friends because they can help make your education feel a little easier. Having friends make what you’re studying a lot of fun. Italian is a well-rounded major. You’re not just learning the language itself. You are also learning the history of the language and the people who speak it. The classes are interesting and there are opportunities outside the classroom to learn even more.
Isabella Schrammel, B.A./B.S.
Italian and Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
I double majored in Italian and NPB. I was inspired by my mother, who did the same. I also saw it as an opportunity to better learn the Italian language and my own heritage. A double major is completely manageable and totally worth it! For me, it allowed me to focus my required GE requirements into another major. Between a STEM major and the Italian major, I only had to take two or three non-major courses to fulfill GE requirements. The STEM major satisfied all my science GE requirements, and ITA major fulfilled the humanities requirements. In a nutshell, you get two degrees while taking a similar number of courses. Plus, there are so many opportunities within the ITA department, and the professors are some of the most intelligent, caring, and insightful individuals. I studied abroad in Florence in Fall of 2018. This was an incredible experience, to say the least. Professoressa Heyer-Caput is amazing, and so passionate about her students’ learning and immersion abroad. Study abroad was my favorite part of my time at UCD. In a language sense, I use what I learned when conversing with family. I use the analytical skills I learned in the ITA major everyday in law school.