Madison Schultz

When I learned about the Urbino Program, I was immediately intrigued. I am fascinated by other cultures and curious about people, so I was excited for the opportunity to step into a new place and document it through multimedia storytelling. What I didn’t realize when I applied for the trip (and received a very generous scholarship from the Independent Scholars program at JMU) was how much I would grow during my time here. In the past three weeks, I have been pushed far beyond the bounds of what is comfortable. Forming deep relationships with people whose beliefs and backgrounds are diverse and dissimilar to my own has expanded my own worldview – not to mention led me to treasured friendships. Working with seasoned professionals has been both humbling and challenging, and the encouragement that has been spoken over me by my mentors here has shown me that I am capable of far more than I believe. Finally, throwing my preconceptions about nightlife out the window to chase the story of a woman whose passion, love, and life is intermingled with her pub has absolutely touched my heart. Thank you so much Urbino, for being a wide-open space for me to grow. (And thanks mom and dad for endlessly supporting my wildest dreams).