With this experience coming to a close, I look back on the past 11 weeks with all kinds of emotions. As I browsed pictures from the entire semester in order to put the semester photo book together (one of my responsibilities as graduate teaching assistant), I’m amazed at the group of women that this semester brought together. During our first house meeting we went around the room and discussed how we all got to the Chigi palace for the fall of 2013. Surprisingly, it seemed that most of our stories echoed the same theme…a need for change. There were stories of girls who had tried (like myself) to come on this trip on different semesters over the past few years but Fall 2013 is where we all landed!
This last week before crunch time (when all assignments are due) has been full of “lasts”. We’ve had the last time many of us will ride the train from Rome, the last time we saw our bus driver Enrico, the last lectures with all of our professors, and the last field trip. The photo below is from Thursday with the very last class for the students, a resume building class with Linda. I told them all to look incredibly sad and here’s the result….
As graduate teaching assistant, I have had to walk the fine line between student and not actually student, which has been a challenge at times (thankfully these girls know a little about grace because they’ve given me a lot of it!). However, I have had the unique experience of also being on the outside looking in. Sure, I’ve been right along with them, but I’ve had a kind of bird’s eye view to the growth and maturity each one of them has developed. These girls are something special. I have a story about each one of them at some point from the semester when I was impressed with how they handled something, or helped their neighbor, or sacrificed their comfort for someone else’s, or compromised on a frustrating issue.
The students aren’t the only ones that have grown! I told my support system that I had a feeling I’d be coming back to the states a different person, and I now, 76 days later, feel that is true. The things we have learned, the people we have met, the adventures we have encountered have all changed me. I’m incredibly honored that I was hired as the graduate teaching assistant for this semester (even though I had to miss Auburn dominate the football field!!) and I’m beyond pleased at how the semester turned out. HUGE thank you for the supporters who make this program happen. You aren’t just providing an incredible experience for us, you’re changing our lives for the better!
I close with a word to the parents who’s students will be returning to the states in just a few days… your daughters are so special. Thank you for sharing them with me for three months. I’m sure after awhile, you’ll grow tired of hearing “that one time in Italy” but just let them talk and talk and talk (and maybe show you the 3,000 pictures they’ve taken!). From the ones I have talked to about this experience, they agree that they too have changed and grown a lot, so give them room to tell you all about it!! Oh, and by the way… they can’t wait to see you!
Ciao! Virginia Belt (Graduate Teaching Assistant)