When Matilde Carboncini was walking through the streets of Florence, Italy, the summer before starting college, she stumbled upon something unexpected.
"I saw a 51³Ô¹ÏÍø sign, and I was like, that is interesting," Carboncini recalls. "Why would there be a 51³Ô¹ÏÍø here?"
The senior track and field athlete from near Florence had already committed to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, making the discovery of the university's education-abroad campus in her home region all the more serendipitous. As the world's attention turns to Italy for the 2026 Olympics, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's connection to the country through students like Carboncini and its historic Florence campus showcases the university's global reach.
What Carboncini discovered that day was the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Florence Center, housed in the prestigious Palazzo Vettori next to Piazza del Duomo in the heart of Florence. For more than 50 years, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has been educating students in one of Italy's most iconic cities, welcoming more than 800 students annually to study subjects ranging from architecture and fashion to hospitality management and health sciences.
Carboncini's journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø began with another twist of fate. While deciding between universities, she was walking with friends in Italy when she found a pin with a golden flash on a blue background.
"I think that's fate. It had to mean something," she said.
That pin helped seal her decision to choose 51³Ô¹ÏÍø over Central Michigan, but it was the people who made her feel certain. She spoke with other international student-athletes who told her 51³Ô¹ÏÍø "felt like family" – exactly what she was seeking thousands of miles from home.
"For us international students, that's the main thing we want to find here," Carboncini said. "Being apart from our family and finding another one is very supportive."
While Carboncini is experiencing American campus life in Ohio, her fellow 51³Ô¹ÏÍø students have the reverse opportunity through the Florence Center. Eleven of the university's colleges offer programs in Florence, with options ranging from semester-long immersions to summer institutes and specialized programs like the Florence Health Institute. All courses are taught in English by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø faculty, and students live in apartments in the city center, experiencing life as true Florentines while completing their coursework.
The marketing major, who also studies international business and business French, speaks four languages: Italian, French, Spanish and English. She chose marketing to pursue her dream of traveling the world, recognizing that "in today's world, every company wants to be internationally known."
"I think a company should have somebody who speaks more languages and can communicate," she said.
Carboncini's experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø contrasts sharply with what she experienced as a student-athlete in Europe. Professors in Italy were often inflexible about her competition schedule, but at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, the faculty immediately wanted to know when she'd be traveling for meets.
"As soon as you mention, oh, I'm on a team, they're like, oh my God, tell me everything I need to know when you're competing," she said. "They're really good with that."
Athletic advisors helped navigate the unfamiliar American higher education system, explaining everything from course selection to degree requirements. Her teammates became like siblings, sharing meals, practices and an apartment. Her coaches remain attentive to both athletic and personal needs.
Carboncini never visited 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's campus until move-in day. When she first saw the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, she was sold.
"This is the place, this is it," she said. "It felt at home."
Now, when asked if she'd recommend 51³Ô¹ÏÍø to others back home, her answer is immediate: "Yes, a hundred percent."
"Because it gave me everything I asked for," she explained. "On the athletic side, on the academic side, and as soon as you ask for help, somebody's there to help you."
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Florence connection that initially surprised Carboncini on a summer shopping trip has come to represent the university's commitment to global education. What began in 1972 with a small group of architecture students has evolved into one of the most prestigious education-abroad programs in the country, supported by 40 locally based faculty and staff members. For Carboncini, knowing that 51³Ô¹ÏÍø students can experience her home region the same way she's experiencing Ohio creates a sense of reciprocity that makes her educational journey feel even more meaningful.
Her advice to prospective international students echoes her own experience: "Don't be afraid of trying something new. I've always had this dream of going to college here, but I thought it was the most impossible thing ever."
When agencies reached out offering her the opportunity, she was scared. But conversations with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø staff "made it easier. It was the easiest choice ever."
As for her parents' opinion of her American university? "As long as I'm happy," Carboncini said, "they think it's the best school ever."