CEA Student Life: Florence Staff

CEA believes it is very important to have a resident staff that works to ensure your well being and that of all CEA students. Our Program Director in Florence, Brigitt Relli, and her staff will: be available to assist you with any difficulties or questions that may arise during your program; act as a liaison between you and the administration of the host institution; help you make a smooth transition into Italian culture and educational system; closely monitor your academic progress; and organize a wide range of social and cultural activities. Questions about the Florence staff? Email . Meet the Florence Staff Grayson Splane Campus Director - Italy Brigitt Relli Program Director Kevin Murphy Academic Dean - Italy Amy Gulick Academic Coordinator Alessandra Mazzanti Housing Coordinator Alessandra Rossi Student Services Coordinator Nicoletta Gallori Student Services Assistant

Here's what Grayson has to say about Florence

Riding over the Arno River by bicycle in the morning and looking east toward the Ponte Vecchio, the "old Bridge," I see in the distance the church of San Miniato that overlooks the city, and think "what a view" even from here. In the evening, I cycle over the Ponte Vecchio itself as the jewelry merchants turn out their lights and pull down their shades. I ride past the Pitti Palace where the Medici family lived centuries ago. I realize, fleetingly, that through these same streets hundreds of years ago walked and rode on horseback the artists Leonardo da Vinci, the sculptor Michelangelo, and the writer Dante, and realize they took in the same views as I do each morning and evening. And these were and are figures that shaped the history that is so important not just in Florence but all over the world. The thought mesmerizes me each and every day and I feel privileged. Privileged not just to have these thoughts inspired, but privileged to observe breathtaking views from every angle and small cobblestone street, to imagine the potential photographs at each change of light, season, and waxing moon, to breathe in the familiar smells pouring out of the cafés: coffee and chocolate, smells of baked bread from the bakery, fresh flowers at the flower market. These small everyday things tantalize the senses and take me back to my first days as a study abroad student over ten years ago. And it's then that I remember why I'm still here in Florence: it is a place that awakens the senses unfailingly day after day. It is in Florence that I feel most alive.