Students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Italian have the unique opportunity to apply to live and work in Northern Italy. Through the University of Oregon’s partnership with the Study Intercultural Training Experience (SITE) Program, students can work as English-speaking teaching assistants in middle schools and high schools in Italy.
Nathalie Hester, associate professor of Romance languages in the College of Arts and Sciences, leads the nomination process for Italian students who apply to SITE.
“It's an opportunity that allows them to be independent, to get to know what work life looks like in Italy and to make connections with young people in Italy,” said Hester.
SITE offers participants the chance to immerse themselves in Italian language and culture while gaining practical experience in educational settings. Students also learn to navigate the laws and processes around working internationally because they have to secure their own visas and living arrangements.
Only around 50 positions and scholarships are available each year, and the process has become very competitive. This year, there was a record number of UO applicants, and the department is sending five students on the program: Mio Demichele, Sofia Bernasconi, Caroly Laver, Charis Sensabaugh and Mia Simons.
“These are students who are deeply, deeply engaged with being global, international, seeking out cultural and linguistic experiences that will inform their professional lives even if they're not going to be settling in Italy,” said Hester.
Experiential learning for global opportunities
When considering applicants, SITE looks for candidates who have teaching experience. The Department of Romance Languages’ Italian faculty have developed a paid undergraduate assistant program to give students a chance to run language-class activities, providing them with an opportunity to earn teaching experience.
“They're really gaining valuable experience and knowledge of how to be in the classroom, how to be kind and gentle and supportive and to lead,” said Hester.
She credits this program for adding strength to participating UO students’ applications as similar opportunities are not available at many other institutions.
A new passion to teach
Audrey Bunce BA ’24 (global studies, Italian), who remains in Italy to this day, was a SITE teaching assistant from October 2024 to May 2025.
She participated in the Italian department’s assistant program and learned about SITE from Hester.
Bunce was placed in the small town of Parabiago, northwest of Milan, at the high school Istituto Tecnico Economico e Tecnologico Giuseppe Maggiolini.
In a smaller town, Bunce said fewer people spoke English, making it easier for her to practice Italian. She built her routine, visiting her preferred produce stand, market and bakery every week.
“I started to develop relationships with the people there, and I felt more connected to the small town culture, maybe more than I would have felt if I was in a big city where it could be a little bit more anonymous.”
At school, Bunce said, she had “a lot of freedom” in choosing what she wanted to talk to students about.
“My main responsibility was making presentations about different subjects, including interactive activities, having the students talk with one another, like role-playing activities or short writing exercises and reflections.”
Each day, she would rotate through classes, spending an hour with each. There were several challenges she had to navigate. The students’ English levels varied widely, which could sometimes make it difficult for Bunce to create presentations and activities that were valuable to all her students. And sometimes students didn't care about what she had to say or sometimes they just wanted to talk to their friends.
“I felt a little out of my depth at first because I hadn't had experience working with teenagers,” said Bunce.
Now, she is a seasoned professional and feels confident she is in the right place teaching English to Italian students.
An evolving global citizen
Zachary Davidson BA ’25 (global studies, Italian) is currently participating in the SITE Program. He is in Milan, living with a host family.
The parents in the host family prefer that he speak with their three sons in English, but Davidson said even just hearing Italian every day has helped his language skills.
Davidson’s placements are at a classical school, Liceo Classico Tito Livio, and a dance school, Liceo Coreutico Tito Livio.
“I essentially have free rein to choose which subjects I talk about,” he said. “I try and think, ‘Okay, what would I want to learn about in high school?’”
One of his lessons was about the Space Race with the recent Artemis II expedition. He’s also taught about the history of China and the history of skateboarding. Each week, he hosts a conversation club where he chooses a topic, and every level of English speaker joins in a round table discussion.
“I really like interacting with the students; some of them get really pulled into my lessons and have a lot of questions for me,” said Davidson. "I feel like I definitely am very lucky to have this community of students and teachers around me.”
Davidson has gained more public speaking skills through being in front of a class, and he has been networking in Milan and Rome. He is trying to meet people involved in foreign policy and international relations, which he is most passionate about.
This summer, he will be an au pair for his host family’s cousins.
“This is a huge opportunity to be here in Italy, trying to build connections, and I'm trying to stay and make that happen,” he said.
— By Violet Ashley, College of Arts and Sciences