Student spotlights

On April 9, 2025, NYU Florence first-year student Ami Yong, was among the participants recognized at the Grand Tour: Stories about Italy literary prize ceremony. The competition was organized by the Scientific Literary Institute G.P. Vieusseux in Florence, in collaboration with the Association of American College and University Programs in Italy. It was open to all students enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year at North American Universities with a campus in Italy. Participants wrote an original literary text about their experience in Italy, either fictional or autobiographical, in both English and Italian, with the support of an Italian professor for the translation. Ami translated her piece, ‘The Believer’, with the supervision of her Italian language professor, Samuele Bucelli. Check out this interview with Ami by Emre Erkaya, the Office of Academic Support PDO. Good reading! 

What motivated you to join to write this short story? 

I always wanted to be a writer. I saw this competition as an opportunity to actually try to write something for myself, and not just for class. I want to show myself to the world as a writer, not just a student. 

What inspired you to write this short story, The Believer? 

I really love Albert Camus and he wrote a lot about Algeria and I kind of developed the same feeling for Algeria that I saw in his writings just because I love him so much. 
And so my inspiration was a poet who wanted to go to Algeria so badly, but was unable to do so, so he just writes about it, his fantasies and his imaginary Algeria. From there I kind of changed it into a poet who lives in Livorno and always wanted to go to Sicily. I've never been to Sicily, so I also feel connected to my character.

How was the experience of writing in English and Italian?

My first language is not English, so I actually wrote it first in Chinese and then translated it into English. And it feels really different because although I have been speaking English since I was really young, the wording and the beauty of the phrasing are different. It actually feels painful at the beginning, like my work isn't mine anymore after I translate it into another language. But through the process of working on it, shaping it into this other language, I’m able to find a new beauty in it. With Italian it was a similar process, I worked together with my Italian teacher, and with his help I also found the beauty in Italian too. I feel this translation process it's kind of a journey of learning about a different culture through the language, a new way of thinking. 

Is there a message you hope readers will take away from your story?

Yes, at its heart, the story is about carpe diem, seizing the day.

The Brunelleschi Crucifix, a painted wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ on the cross that hangs in the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, has quite an amusing back story. Prior to the famous Renaissance Florentine architect’s version, Donatello’s Crucifix for the Church of Santa Croce across town had already been a wide success. Donatello asked his good friend Brunelleschi for his opinion of the crucifix Donatello had just completed, to which Brunelleschi had a very negative response. Donatello challenged Brunelleschi to realize a sculpture better than his and when Brunelleschi unveiled his final work during a dinner party at his home, it is said that Donatello dropped all the eggs he had brought as a gift and fell to his knees in submission.

This story is how Elizabeth Curtin, NYU Florence student, frames her favorite stop, Brunelleschi’s Crucifix, during the tours she gives to those who walk through the doors of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella–one of Florence’s most important churches that stands in the square of the same name. Elizabeth carefully prefaces the church’s historic works of art by bringing grand Florentine artists to life, which she believes makes it easier for viewers to easily understand the pieces and their context. As part of NYU Florence’s Community Engagement program, Elizabeth is responsible for leading tours around the basilica for English-speaking tourists.

The Community Engagement program at NYU Florence offers an extensive range of opportunities for local involvement. Students can lead activities during English classes at public schools, volunteer at a soup kitchen, participate in various projects in collaboration with non-profit organizations, and many more. Elizabeth, a current junior at Duke University majoring in History and International Comparative Studies with a minor in French, selected Ars et Fides, an association that places tour guides in Florence’s most distinguished churches, as her first choice. Unlike some other roles within the program, Elizabeth was required to submit a cover letter detailing her interests and qualifications as part of the application process. After an informal interview with staff  from the Community Engagement office, she was notified of her placement and began her journey soon after. 

The five students selected for this role received training from an associate for Ars et Fides and were given a 24-page document on the art collection to study. The artworks in Santa Maria Novella chart the progression of Renaissance painting–from pre-Renaissance frescoes to Massaccio’s Holy Trinity, among the first works to use perspective, and Ghirlandaio’s Strozzi Chapel, one of the most important expressions of Renaissance realism. In Elizabeth’s case, her academic pursuit in European history and art acted as a natural segway into working at the basilica. Even some of Elizabeth’s course load here at NYU Florence–“Medieval Church” and “Italy During the Renaissance”–aligns closely with her Community Engagement role, allowing her to directly experience what she studies and enrich her tours with added context and details.

The connection between her studies and her volunteer placement at Santa Maria Novella is only part of what makes Florence so meaningful to Elizabeth. Her ties to the city run even deeper—she is the third generation in her family to study here. “Both of my parents studied here during college and my grandmother, an artist, came to Florence to study under Italian painters and worked here for a time,” Elizabeth said. “Throughout my life, I've regarded Italian art as sort of the pinnacle; the names of the Italian greats have always been very familiar to me.”

Elizabeth’s shift begins at 3:00 p.m. every Thursday, seated at the front of Santa Maria Novella where most visitors buy their tickets. The sign at her desk that advertises free tours in English draws small groups of people who choose between a 30-minute or full hour tour. While waiting for visitors to request a tour, Elizabeth formed a close friendship with her fellow guide, Maria Kaltsidis, a current freshman at NYU. Although Maria is a student on the pre-med track with less experience in art history, Elizabeth was impressed by how Maria dove straight into her position. When Elizabeth and Maria receive a request for a tour of Santa Maria Novella, they strive to make it as engaging as possible. “Because the tours are on the longer end and there’s so much information to remember, we help each other fill in any gaps and recall dates,” Elizabeth said. “We’ve established a rhythm with a couple of jokes built in and we try to make it very interactive."

The American tourists visiting Florence often carry a deep curiosity to discover Renaissance art, a trait that sets them apart from the European tourists who already possess broader historical and artistic knowledge. Americans who visit the basilica are characterized by their enthusiasm, eager to learn more about the church and uncover the stories behind its art pieces. When showing American visitors around a chapel decorated with frescoes that depict Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and pointing to the portrayal of “heaven” or “purgatory”, Elizabeth was met with various remarks of recognition. She found a certain thrill in seeing them recognize things they had studied, albeit briefly, during high school or college. “I think that for most Europeans, a lot of this art history is already integrated into their education,” she said. “Americans are simply so excited to be in Florence and for them to stumble inside the basilica to witness the art they’ve only heard of makes it very fun for me.” For Elizabeth, placing the art in a broader context that provides visitors a framework for understanding other works they may come across in Florence is a highly rewarding experience. It brings her a strong sense of joy to be able to share the information she’s learned, as well as to share a common sense of wonder with the visitors. 

Apart from how eager many American tourists are to learn more about the art in the basilica, they are equally as intrigued by Elizabeth–and not just as their tour guide. “They always want to know where I’m from and what I’m studying,” she said. “They’re very excited that I’m studying abroad here and that kind of enthusiasm makes the community engagement opportunities so much more fun. We’ve even had people give us hugs at the end of our tours so it’s quite a close bond I get to build with the visitors.” Walking visitors through the space that traces the rise and fall of the Renaissance was initially a daunting task for Elizabeth, who had never been comfortable with public speaking. Through her volunteering, she pushed through this fear and met the challenge head on. In the end, the experience wasn’t just about sharing knowledge; it was about gaining confidence, expanding her passion for art history, and recognizing that the most rewarding moments come from pushing beyond her comfort zone. 

I was given the chance to experience a tour led by Elizabeth myself, and the basilica was nothing short of exceptional. Everywhere my eyes fell on was art. What made the tour special, however, was Elizabeth’s enthusiasm and thorough explanation of each piece, blending scholarly information with a personal touch that made it both friendly and intimate. 

As a history major, Elizabeth finds Florence unparalleled–its renowned pieces captivate her and act as a backdrop for its ripe history. Florence’s multitude of artworks is a part of daily life here, with a number of them exhibited in grand museums, but just as many woven into the fabric of the city itself. Elizabeth was particularly surprised to discover that the Church of Santa Maria Novella is not merely a repository of art but also a vibrant and active center of community worship: Dominican friars still reside nearby, visitors are expected to dress respectfully, and volunteers are prohibited from soliciting tours or accepting tips. The church's sacred atmosphere and the local community's active engagement within such an iconic space offered her a profound perspective on Florence's history that continues to live on. For Elizabeth, the constant exposure and proximity to artistry makes everyday an endless source of inspiration. “No matter what you’re doing in Florence, you’re always having cultural exchange,” she said. “You’re always having a learning experience.” Here, art and history are not merely subjects to study–they are a way of life, providing students like Elizabeth an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression long after their time in the city has ended.

Jenny Seo (she/her) is a junior at NYU Steinhardt studying Media, Culture, and Communication and Creative Writing. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy for the fall semester of 2024 and worked as a PDO in the Office of Academic Support – the very reason she wrote this piece. In the future, Jenny hopes to work in the media or entertainment industry, ideally as a writer, inspiring others through storytelling and words.