Meet Curtis Aiken – TA for the Volcanology Class

Hi, my name is Curtis Aiken and I am in my second year of studying abroad with SAI. This is the most exciting life experience that I have ever participated in was studying abroad at Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento Italy. My experience began in the summer of 2021. It was life changing to say the least. In the Introduction to Volcanology class, a truly passionate Professor Nave guided our class through volcano formation through entertaining class lessons and field trips. Since there were only two students in the class due to COVID, Professor Nave tailored the Introduction to Volcanology to my major, atmospheric science and meteorology. There were discussions about how volcanoes affect climate change. It’s exciting to see how these entities operated and shaped the way we live today but also how it has changed over the centuries. Because of my experience last year in Italy, I have since returned to the same class and enrolled in an internship as a Teacher Assistant. Sorrento and Sant’Anna Institute is the most amazing place and I just had to come back. I graduated in May 2022 with my degree in Meteorology and I chose to return to work on personal goals of refining my communication and leadership skills. My duties include enriching the content of the class, creating lesson plans including powerpoints, teaching, weather forecasting for weekly field trips, guiding field trips, and collaborating with Professor Nave in delivery of lessons. Professor Nave has given me a block of time called, “Curtis Corner”, where I enrich the class based on the classroom discussion for that day. I am also required to look business casual in class. The internship includes weekly meetings with an internship class led by Sant’Anna Institute Internship Coordinator. My goals were to enrich my experience by doing assignments and creating an eportfolio to assist my marketability. SAI has introduced me to the most amazing people, students, professors, SAI staff, and the wonderful people of Sorrento. The culture and history is breathtaking. I enjoyed Ravello, Florence, Rome, Ischia, and numerous other beautiful places. I’ll cherish these experiences and people for the rest of my life. SAI does an amazing job of making Sorrento feel like home.

Buona fortuna a tutti voi