Nina, a native of San Diego, has lived in Italy for over 30 years and is a dual-citizen. She herself was an exchange student from UCLA at the Università di Padova and Venezia where she studied studio art, art history, and Italian. Her fondest memories of her time abroad were seeing her art history books come to life as well as the numerous travels throughout the Italian peninsula by train.

“I highly recommend train travel even today. It is still considerably cheap and is a great way to discover new places. There is almost no place in Italy that can’t be reached by train. I usually traveled alone which gave me the unique chance to meet locals and especially to practice my Italian.”

Nina is always happy to share her vast knowledge of the territory (thanks to her work for many years in the tourism field, as well as being an avid cyclist) with new students eager to make the most of their experience abroad. A self-described food snob, she is very opinionated about where the best places to eat are.

“Discovering local food is also a great way to integrate into your new environment. Every region has its own traditions and every Italian is very proud of their local specialties. In order to understand what you meet on the outside, you need to discover what goes down on the inside. It’s also the best way to make local friends. You will be very dear to any Florentine’s heart once you’ve taken your first bite of “panino al lampredotto”!

Nina is a trained level 2 EMT first responder and in her spare time volunteers on a local ambulance service. Good communication and teamwork are fundamental aspects of this activity and she strives to bring the same work ethic to ISI Florence. She encourages students to have fun, but also to stay safe!

“Florence is a relatively safe place to live and small enough to walk pretty much anywhere. Common sense works here too so don’t forget to take that with you when you go out or travel. Other than that, explore, live and experience! I am certain you will make memories that will last a lifetime, if not change the course of your life.”

Don’t forget to ask her about her past as one of Italy’s pioneers of the LGBTQ+ rights movement! As the Diversity. Equity & Inclusion Officer, she offers first-hand insight into students’ expectations abroad and strives to provide any resources needed to welcome students of all diversities.

She loves sharp pencils and once held the world record for the most bicep curls in one minute (81 curls with a 15kg bar).