Paola Garzoni’s advice to the assembled group of U.S. and European educators, businesspeople, and civic leaders tasked with ensuring that Hokies studying abroad at the Steger Center for International Scholarship are immersed in high-impact learning experiences:
“Do not forget ‘passione.’”
Garzoni, a member of the newly formed Steger Center Advisory Council, said the council’s goal is to further foster an environment where students are not only educated but also inspired. “Passion for learning thrives on the experiences that come from studying abroad,” she said. “It broadens horizons, fosters global citizenship, and cultivates a deeper understanding of the interconnected world we live in.”
Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke and Dean Lu Liu of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design welcomed Garzoni and other members of the council to the Steger Center in May for their inaugural meeting. It kicked off a busy summer at the center, where more than 120 students will study in programs that run the gamut from computer science to journalism to sustainable policymaking and planning.
“The Steger Center is a shining example of Virginia Tech’s commitment to global engagement and experiential learning,” Liu said. “By bringing together students from diverse disciplines to study, research, and collaborate in this vibrant international setting, we are preparing the next generation of leaders to tackle the grand challenges facing our interconnected world.”
Among the other members of the 13-member council are Katrina Powell, English professor and founding director of the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies; Tombo Jones, director of the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership; and Jacob “Jake” A. Lutz III ’78, rector emeritus of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
They emphasized the opportunities available at the center and focused on expanding collaborations and community connections to help students engage more deeply with the region’s people, organizations, and businesses. They also highlighted how such opportunities are examples of bridge experiences that can help students successfully transition to a professional path after graduation.
“Studying at the Steger Center is not just about academic growth. It’s about personal development and broadening horizons,” Executive Director Sara Steinert Borella said. “Our students are immersed in a culturally rich environment that challenges them to think critically, engage with diverse perspectives, and become active participants in the global community.”
Students immersed in community
The center’s location in Riva San Vitale, a picturesque town in the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland, encourages students to engage with nearby communities and gain insights into European culture and society. Cassiano Luminati, who will serve as chair of the council, said such a setting puts students within easy access to diverse cultures and international organizations.
While coordinated travel and cultural exploration remain priorities at the center, Steinert Borella said her team works to balance those adventures with engagement with the local community. The center, part of Outreach and International Affairs, has been working to build relationships with regional partners who can help enrich those experiences.
That goal is reflected in the Pathways to the Steger Center initiative, a four-week study abroad program that launched in June. During the program, students of any major can explore Swiss and Italian culture in the region while earning credits toward their Pathways requirements or studying Italian. The program includes a one-week trip to Bologna that focuses on students seeing the northern Italian city from the various, interdisciplinary lenses of their Pathways courses.
Students work at the Steger Center with expert language instructor Valentina Dodi, who helps them refine their Italian language skills in the classroom, in the community, and in Bologna. Students speak with residents, order food in restaurants, navigate the train system, and shop the open-air markets.
“We support students from all majors in gaining a global perspective and intercultural skills that give them an edge in their careers, both at home and abroad. Our students actively engage with the local community to enrich their study abroad experience. Through project-based learning, directed research, or involvement with local schools and sports clubs, we help them feel at home here in Riva San Vitale,” Steinert Borella said.
For example, Mohammed Seyam’s Software Engineering in a Global Context class brought 23 students from three countries and four universities to the Steger Center to work on solving real-world problems for Swiss clients. After their hard work on a fast-paced hackathon-style software development, students enjoyed excursions to several Swiss and Italian cities.
“It takes a village to run a program with this level of international collaboration,” Seyam said. “For our Virginia Tech students, coming to the Steger Center to finalize their projects with students from the University of Applied Sciences and Art of Southern Switzerland, the American University in Cairo, and Alamein International University in Egypt — as well as discussing their work with Provost Clarke and members of the Steger Center Advisory Council — is an experience that will have an impact on the students' views of themselves and the world for years to come.”
