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As a first-generation American who grew up speaking Italian, Amy Giacobone ’04 (Palisades Park, N.J.) has a deep-seated interest in Italian culture. In addition to spending two interim sessions and one semester abroad in Italy, she’s pursued her passion by studying past and current political and social issues in Italy through an intensive research project.
An international affairs major who created a second, individualized major in Italian studies, Giacobone examined Italy’s past using Decameron, a 14th century collection of short stories by Giovanni Boccaccio. It originated in the Italian Renaissance but still relates to the political, economic and social issues of today’s Italian society.
“Some of the stories are funny,” Giacobone says, explaining that the collection of stories is set up as one-day increments spanning 10 days. A different character tells one story each day. “It gives a lot of historical background and so much insight into the culture [of that time period].”
Under the guidance of Rado Pribic, Williams Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures and chair of the International Affairs program, Giacobone also researched Italy’s current political situation and the social division between its northern and southern regions. She wrote a series of three papers for this independent study, the capstone course for her Italian studies major.
“Lafayette is liberal in the sense that it gives students the ability to design their own major if it’s not available,” Pribic explains.
“I have always felt that [a] school is here to serve the student,” Giacobone adds. “I find Lafayette is the ideal place for students to embark on projects like independent studies. The fact that it is a small school provides a tremendous advantage. Students are able to have their needs and concerns met because they have an opportunity to get to know their professors on a personal level.”
Giacobone says working closely with Pribic has been a good experience. “I feel as though I could not have asked for a better person to work with on this project,” she says.
“Amy is easy to work with,” Pribic says, citing her high level of dedication and drive to complete the project. “It’s a pleasure to work with someone who is motivated.”
They got to know each other when they headed to Florence, Italy on a Lafayette interim study abroad trip.
Upon graduation in May, Giacobone plans to work for a few years before heading back to school to get a masters degree in business. She had an internship in the fashion industry and would like to pursue the options in this field.
“Ideally, I’d like to work for an Italian-based fashion company,” she says. “If I could combine both worlds, that would be my ultimate goal.”
Before studying abroad, Giacobone was a member of Student Government and an orientation leader. She is an active member of the Lafayette Leadership Education Committee and a student representative for the Board of Trustees Committee on Student Life and Academic Affairs. She was recently elected secretary of the senior class council. She has served an internship at Madison Square Garden.
She is a graduate of the Immaculate Heart Academy.
Independent study courses are among several major opportunities at Lafayette that make the College a national leader in undergraduate research. Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty-two students have been accepted to present their work at the next annual conference in April.