Hi everyone! My name is Katy McCumber and I am a Journalism major in the Culture and Politics theme of GLI. Although I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, my father’s job in journalism offered many diverse cultural experiences as my family moved to different states across the country. My childhood was filled with museum trips and bustling city streets, but that all drastically changed when we moved to Butte, Montana when I was 12. Initially, I was fearful of such a drastically different cultural atmosphere, but my experience in moving from place to place helped me adapt quickly. Although I fell in love with the sprawling mountains and quiet calmness of Montana, I always dreamed of returning to a metropolis filled with artistic influence and historical impact. That’s why when the time to pursue my beyond-the-classroom experience arrived, I made plans to stay in Florence, Italy for twelve weeks working for an arts and culture magazine named Romeing. 

The name “Romeing” is exactly what you think it is. Headquartered in Rome, this online magazine caters to English-speaking tourists who wish to dive deep into the events and lifestyle of Italy’s iconic capital, so when they arrive they can “roam” around like a local! In the past year the site has expanded to cover not only Rome, but Florence as well, to offer updates on its renowned museums, musical events, and best restaurants. Home to Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and the reign of the Medici family, Florence is an essential city to immerse yourself in la dolce vita. 

Beyond the aesthetic beauty of Florence and the insurmountable amount of creative inspiration available at every corner of the city (seriously, even the narrow alleys feature stunning renaissance-era murals and statues), working here as a journalist expanded my skills in communication, time management, and understanding of different perspectives, three attributes that I believe are vital to being an effective leader.

Each week, my editor and I would meet over Zoom (as he was in Rome). We would review my articles from the previous week, with topics ranging from museum exhibits to community conservation efforts that showed how Florence is not just a tourist destination, but an ancient town with generations of Italian heritage and tradition. Upon reviewing the completed assignments, we would brainstorm on different ideas for the next pieces. These meetings were incredibly helpful in my reporting process, as I wouldn’t have been able to even scratch the surface on the lesser known happenings without my Italian boss’s native knowledge.Of course I wasn’t a local, but I felt respected in the local community for caring about Florence as a place that people live in, not just a place foreigners fly into. 

Italy, unlike the United States, offers accessible public transportation that can take you all across the country in a matter of hours. Being able to hop onto trains and flights from place to place, including Rome, Venice, Milan, and even Paris, France, (That’s me pictured above in the Louvre!) allowed me to delve into different cultures totally unique to that area. For example, I took Italian lessons for the first two weeks of my internship so I could gain a simple understanding of how to get around and communicate. This instruction was based on Florentine Italian, or the dialect that most of the country speaks. But, when I traveled to different regions and tiny towns within them, I was surprised to learn new accents, words, and even ways of moving your tongue and lips that were customary to each background. This experience strengthened my cultural knowledge, as it not only improved my small foundation of the Italian language, but showed appreciation and respect for each Italian that I met when I spoke with dedication to their mother tongue. As a journalist, communicating with sources and understanding their unique life stories is essential to productive reporting, something you can’t do if there is a restrictive language barrier. 

Overall, my internship in Italy was a once in a lifetime experience that I didn’t know would ever be possible, but with the help of the Franke Family and the Global Leadership Initiative, my dreams have become reality and prepared me for the news industry not just in the U.S., but internationally as well.