Students from every department at the University of Utah study Italian for many reasons ⁠— for creating films, understanding history, pursuing a minor or wanting to study abroad. In a small department, professor of Italian language and culture and Section Head Giuliana Marple said, “[The students] make my day. It doesn’t feel like work with their excitement for my language and my culture.”

After years of studying and teaching, she realized that learning out of a textbook pales in comparison to hands-on engagement. She founded the Italian Club of Salt Lake in 2007, a community-centered organization where many former U students teach and promote Italian culture in a hands-on way. She and her student volunteers realized that, as she described, “Learning a language isn’t just sitting behind a desk.”