I chose the Loyola University Chicago: John Felice Rome Center program not only for the rich history of the location, but also because of the unique classes offered in the realm of human rights. The onsite classes I can take through this program offer experiences not available anywhere else in the world. I will be able to study Catholicism in the Vatican and volunteer face to face with refugees through the Jesuit Refugee Service. I expect that as we are traveling to different parts of the city for the course Roman Catholicism, I will pass by the make-shift refugee camps in the city’s parks and abandoned buildings. I will gain insight on these camps and what the daily lives of migrants attempting to live a better life in the Italian city entail through the course Human Rights—The View from Rome. These opportunities and additional
classes pertain to my Philosophy and Women’s and Gender Studies majors and will help me complete my degree. In addition, the themes of the philosophy courses I will take part in are not common in philosophy class offerings at SCU. I will get to explore my passion for human rights in the Philosophy and Persons course and venture into the origins of standards of beauty in Philosophy of Art. I am most excited to learn about the experiences of refugees, learn the basics of Italian, and expand my knowledge of my own religion and major.