During my study abroad trip to Rome, Italy we learned a lot about global leadership and the qualities and cultural intelligence you have to actually be a global leader. I loved seeing all the ancient ruins and how we were able to walk through them, and also I noticed they were more intact than the ones in Athens. My favorite day in Rome was when we went to the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel. The artwork and the extreme attention to detail was amazing, especially when there were stories behind everything that was created. In the Sistine Chapel, the wall of the Last Restoration was my favorite piece of work by far. I loved learning about everything in the chapel but that was the coolest part to me. Also, Michelangelo’s original painting of the Creation of Adam in the chapel was very cool to see as well. After the Vatican, we went to St. Peter’s Basilica and this was by the prettiest church I have ever seen. My second favorite day was when we went to the Roma football game and experienced the excited atmosphere the Roma fans created. Going to Kyle Field, people are passionate about Aggie football but the fans in Rome were next level. They took winning and losing very personally, so we had to be mindful of what color we wore and of our surroundings so we didn’t offend any fans. Going to the Mariotti and Figli business tour was very interesting to me being a supply chain major and seeing a factory in a different country compared to the factories I’ve seen in the states. Their laws and regulations aren’t nearly as strict compared to the U.S. because their employees aren’t overworked so they don’t have a lot of accidents like we do and so they don’t yet have a reason to further enforce regulations. The company is family owned and operated, and has been passed down generations and the kids who inherit the company are passionate about their family business and hard workers so the company has continued to be successful. Comparing to the U.S. again, I’ve seen companies handed down to family members and they completely tank the company or simply don’t want to do it. We went to another family owned company when we did pasta and wine tasting, which was so much fun but it was the same situation. The owner inherited the company and was extremely passionate about her business and to us as customers this gives the experience more value as it’s added generations of wealth through knowledge and actual business. Rome was such a fun and interesting experience, it was busier than Athens so I liked that there was more to do but I really enjoyed both countries’ culture and atmosphere. I will never forget this special time, and I’m so grateful to have been able to be a part of this experience!
