A Blast from the Past: Ten Years Later at the Umbra Institute
Back in Perugia
This past Friday, Umbra alumni who studied at the Institute in 2016 returned to Perugia to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. Naturally, they had to pay Piazza IV Novembre a visit!
The People Who Made the Experience
The alumni gathered to relive memories, see what their old stomping grounds look like ten years later, and, as a highlight of the weekend, participated in a panel open to current Umbra students. To begin the event, the alumni were asked what they remember most from their time in Perugia. All three panelists had similar answers: the people. It was clearly a shared sentiment that the friends they made during their time abroad were really what made the experience what it was. They shared how they’ve kept in touch over the past decade, whether through weekend trips, quick check-ins, or social media interactions.
“Every single one of the alumni that are here are people that I’ve either done a trip or a vacation [with], or we’ve seen each other in some way, shape, or form, after Perugia.” John Cortese, class of 2016.
Life After Umbra
At the same time, the alumni emphasized that staying in contact has become increasingly difficult as they’ve gotten older when asked about life after Umbra and graduation. This came up as they touched on the ways the Institute supported their academic work as they returned to their home institutions and moved into the careers they now lead.
Favorite Memories
Before wrapping up the event, the alumni shared their favorite memories from their time at Umbra. None of them could choose just one. Instead, it was a whirl of late nights spent sitting on the steps in the main square, tough lessons learned while traveling for the weekend, thirty-minute walks to class — uphill, and shops and restaurants that turned out to be hidden gems within Perugia.
Advice for Current Students
The final pieces of advice offered by the alumni: stop and look around you, build relationships, and make mistakes. The event concluded with an aperitivo open to current students who attended the panel, where all mingled, asked follow-up questions, and got a glimpse at what ten years from now could look like for a student studying at Umbra in the year of 2026.