Anna S. Covatta '09, Italian Studies and Art History
Why did you decide to become an Italian major?
I grew up in an Italian-American family, and my love for the language and culture started at a young age with frequent trips to Italy. When I was in seventh grade, my family decided to spend half a year living in Florence. We rented an apartment in the city center with a fabulous view of the Duomo, enrolled in language classes as a family and immersed ourselves in our new neighborhood. Those months abroad were marked by many milestones: turning 13, getting my first pair of pointe shoes and performing in a ballet showcase while training at a local dance school, celebrating the start of the Millennium. I was hooked on Florence and all things Italian. My high school back home didn't offer Italian classes, so I studied Latin instead. I knew I wanted to continue my language studies at the college level, where I was also hoping to study art history with a focus on Italian Renaissance art. Enrolling in classes in the Department of Italian Studies at Wellesley was a no-brainer, and I picked out my first year's schedule of classes before arriving on campus.
How did it shape your time at Wellesley?
My very first class at Wellesley was an Italian language class, literally; I think it started at 8:30 in the morning. Despite the brutally early (for me) morning start, I loved every minute of Professoressa Laviosa's class and followed her through several Italian and CAMS classes over the next four years. I was initially keen to study abroad in Italy, but upon exploring Wellesley's vast selection of courses and realizing I was double-major-bound, I chose not to go abroad during the school year in order to not miss out on any classes. Instead, I spent time in Florence every summer while at Wellesley, one year attending a month-long summer intensive with several other fellow Italian Studies friends, and another working at a study abroad school's Italian-speaking administrative office, where their language immersion program helped to improve my own skills.
How has it influenced your life after Wellesley?
Shortly after I graduated from Wellesley, my parents bought an apartment in Florence in the same neighborhood where we stayed as a family back in 1999-2000. Every year since, we go back and walk down the same streets, visit our local shops in the Sant'Ambrogio neighborhood, eat at our favorite restaurants and enjoy aperitivo at our familiar spots. I've become the family's designated translator, and whenever a utility bill needs to be paid or some sort of Italian red-tape situation needs to be sorted out, I brush off my language skills. In the past 10 years since graduation, I've been to Italy at least 11 times and have become comfortable with navigating tiny city streets as well as the autostrade in a rental car, debating with the customer service agents at our local bank and figuring out the ins and outs of codici fiscali, among other things. It is safe to say that I'm always dreaming about my next Italian vacation, and most days I can be found snacking on the meats, cheeses and Chianti I've brought back home with me to tide me over until the next trip to my favorite place!