Home Institution: Penn State U.
Umbra Semester: Spring 2011
Currently: Graduating in May of 2012 with a degree in Finance and International Business, at which point I will start my career at JPMorgan Chase
Most Memorable Experience at Umbra: Outside of the incredible experiences in Perugia (the steps, the fountain, Dempsey’s), I would say that the greatest experience of my semester at Umbra was the trip I took to Ibiza, Spain. It was a guys trip; the ladies were kept out of the loop and left at home. We went for a long weekend in April when the weather was just starting to get good, but the island was not yet overrun with tourists. We spent our days laying on the beach, and our nights enjoying what makes Ibiza famous—the nightlife. It was by far the most incredible weekend of my life.
Advice for Future Students: Never take a single day for granted. You will hear everyone tell you to “enjoy each day, because it goes by fast.” But, you will never truly understand how fast it goes until it’s over. Never put a single thing off. If you want to do something, do it immediately! Never make the mistake of thinking your time there is endless. Know the last day of your program. Be conscious of it. Be aware that it’s going to end—that it won’t last forever—and you will have a greater appreciation for each day. Be sure to make the most of your weekends and travel around, but don’t forget to leave a couple weekends to stay in Perugia. You will find that some of your most incredible weekends will be the ones in which you didn’t travel. Remember, once you leave Europe, you never know when you will be able to return… so don’t have any regrets. Do what you want to do. Go where you want to go. Live for yourself; after all, they’re your memories, and one day memories will be all you have.
Contact Rocco with questions about his Umbra experience: rocco.merola@gmail.com