Norwin student, Ray Mamas has recently been accepted to a school in Rome for architecture and has been scouted to play lacrosse there. Mamas received a merit scholarship in addition to the lacrosse offer. Their journey to Italy will be a tough one, as they have to learn an entirely new language in order to thrive in their architecture classes.
Q: What school are you going to and where exactly is it?
A: I will be attending Rome City Institute, which is located in the heart of Rome, Italy.
Q: What made you choose to go there?
Originally, I was going to focus on academics and had never even planned on going abroad for college—but then, one random night, I had gotten an email from an “International” Lacrosse Coach and a whole world had opened up before me. At first I had my doubts, but I looked more into the school and decided it would be foolish to pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity. So basically, what made me choose to go to Rome was this amazing offer I was given to play International Lacrosse all throughout Italy and compete in a multitude of Eastern Countries. I also want to become an architect in the future, and what better place to study architecture than the beautiful country of Italy itself?
Q: Have you toured there yet/planning on touring the school?
I have done virtual tours of the school, yet will most likely not be able to visit before move-in day. So it will be quite a jump to make and I am hoping to land, at least somewhat, softly.
Q: How are you going to prepare for schooling in a different country?
To prepare, I guess I first have to learn the language… so I will definitely be studying Italian over the summer. I also just think I have to mentally prepare to be living on my own in such a foreign place—and learning how to cook good meals will definitely be essential.
Q: How does your family feel about you going to school overseas?
I honestly think my family is more excited than I am for they now get an excuse to go to Italy for vacation. One of the first things they said to me was “Well we know where we are traveling to over break.” My parents are definitely worried, but they are happy for me to even have such an amazing opportunity.
Q: Did you look into any U.S. schools?
I originally never even comprehended the idea of leaving the country for college, so yes, I definitely looked at schools in the U.S. I had always planned on going somewhere out of state like NYU or Virginia Tech, but never had I imagined having the opportunity to spend the next year of my life in a forge in the country.
