For those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Ledford, you know that something was missing on campus this past semester. This breezy, genuine, and overall awesome Carmel native wasn’t gracing the classroom or causing shenanigans in The Acres because she was studying abroad in Italy! A participant in the Spring 2011 CIMBA program in Paderno del Grappa, Sarah spent the last three months indulging in the best of Italy, and other parts of Europe as well! But when she’s not visiting Romeo and Juliet’s home in Verona or catching all of the hottest fashions in Milan, this 21-year-old economics major enjoys running, being active in her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and hanging out with friends.
HC: So  you just spent the last semester studying in Italy and traipsing across Europe. Tell us all about it!
SL: I spent the last semester studying in northern Italy, about an hour and half north of Venice. The campus was in a really small town, which was nice to get a feel for what Italy is actually like rather than just spending all of my time in a large city. I was there for three months and had lots of opportunities to travel. I went all over Italy and visited a few other countries as well.
HC: What kind of classes did you take while abroad? How were they different from courses taught here at Purdue?
SL: I took mostly classes that went toward my major–management and economics classes. They were a lot smaller than my classes have been at Purdue, and they all had a slight international twist to them. My classes were taught by professors from the states though, so they were not too different.
HC: I’ve heard that CIMBA gives you a lot of time to travel. What were some of your favorite places you visited?
SL: I loved everywhere I went! I spent a weekend on the Amalfi Coast and visited the island of Capri. It was easily the most beautiful place I went. I also spent a week traveling around Ireland, which was really fun because my family if Irish. As an added bonus, some of my friends from Purdue were there on Spring Break while I was there so I got to see them. Some of my other favorites were Munich and Barcelona. They are both really fun cities, but also have a lot of great history and culture too!
HC: So now that you’re back, what are your plans for the summer?
SL: This summer I am working a lot. I have an internship at a healthcare communications group in Carmel, and I am working at a restaurant in my hometown as well.
HC: What’s your greatest accomplishment so far?
SL: I would say in general, studying abroad has been my greatest accomplishment. It was scary and intimidating to just pick up my life, leave my friends, and move somewhere new for three months. On the flip side, it was the most exciting, life-changing, and eventful time of my life.
HC: Lastly, what’s one of the craziest things you’ve ever done, either home or abroad?
SL: I went skydiving a few summers ago in New Jersey, and when I was in Italy I went paragliding. They were both crazy, fun, scary, and I would do it all again!