Help me fund my semester abroad in Florence, Italy!

Isabelle Soult Start Date: Mar 8, 2023 - End Date: Sep 7, 2023
  • Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

My Travel Story

by: Isabelle Soult Start Date: Mar 8, 2023 - End Date: Sep 7, 2023
I am currently a junior at UK after transferring following two years at the University of the Cumberlands. I work in the Receiving Department at the Gatton Student Center (GSC), which means I interact with several student and staff coworkers every day. I assist with deliveries to various offices at the GSC, and help the bookstore crew, maintenance, and food service to ensure operations run smoothly at the GSC. I am a member of the Alternative Service Breaks club, which focuses on community service trips during school breaks. For Spring Break 2023, I am going to Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center in Washburn, Tennessee, to learn about sustainability, environmental protection, and maintenance of trails and creeks. Additionally, I am a member of the Psychology Student Association and Sigma Delta Pi, a Spanish honor society. 

From K-12, I was part of the Spanish Immersion Program, a magnet program in my hometown of Lexington. I had multiple classes where I was taught Spanish language and culture, with classes conducted entirely in Spanish, taught by native speakers from many different countries. One specific teacher was Sra. Ayub, and I will always be thankful for her support even when I struggled. In eighth grade, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend ten days in Costa Rica with fellow immersion students. I learned about the “pura vida” lifestyle they follow in Costa Rica. I met other students my age and we shared things about our lives and how a day at school goes in our specific countries. We also met students at an elementary school and played soccer with them. I attended Bryan Station High School, which ranks as one of the most diverse high schools in Kentucky. I had classmates and friends from several different backgrounds, and I believe that has made me more accepting, empathetic, and culturally aware. 

A challenging situation I have had to face was my transition from my previous college, which was significantly smaller, to the University of Kentucky. At the beginning of Fall 2022, I was starting a new university, moving into my first apartment, and dealing with my dad’s recent diagnosis with stage IV pancreatic cancer, which made for a pretty challenging time. I made sure I was on top of my school work by writing everything down and using my calendar, which has definitely helped me stay more organized. I also relied a lot on my family, and leaned on them for support and guidance. I tried taking things one day at a time, and eventually I was in a better place, but it was a difficult stage in my life.

Prior to my trip, I plan to do research on the cultural norms and expectations that are present, specifically in my host city of Florence. I have also started to learn some basic phrases in Italian. I am already fluent in Spanish, and these two languages have many similarities. I plan to be open to new opportunities, traditions, customs, and food. I will embrace Italian culture and not expect it to be the same as in the U.S. I will engage with and spend time with my Italian classmates and other international classmates, rather than only staying close to the other students from the U.S.



  • Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

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