Celine Fong CC’28 has an unusual bucket list: visiting every piece of art in the AP Art History curriculum. During her recent study-abroad experience in Venice, she scratched one more off the list, thanks to a field trip with a professor.

“The Scrovegni Chapel is something I’ve wanted to see for a really long time, and I was so happy I got to go visit,” Fong says. “It was so cool to be immersed in it for a while to take it in without any interruptions.

As an aspiring art history major, Fong was drawn to the Columbia Summer in Venice program, organized by the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement. She says it’s almost like living in a museum — and the opportunity to live like a local was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fong loves the humanities, and was eager to experience the Biennale and all the cultural events the city has to offer.

“I didn’t realize how much contemporary art would be here, too,” she says. “There’s the Guggenheim and Punta della Dogana and other museums that house not only historical works, but also work from up-and-coming artists.”

Fong has also had transformative experiences outside of her studies. She’s made friends with students from different backgrounds whom she says she probably wouldn’t have met otherwise, and she’s enjoyed cultivating closer relationships with her professors — one even gifted her a poster from her favorite movie after he attended a film festival that hosted a screening. Working to develop those interpersonal relationships and forging a sense of independence has helped her flourish, and are practices she intends to bring back to campus.

“It’s taught me so many life skills,” she says. “Being engaged in a different culture and expected to balance my chores and classwork and social life has really helped me solidify those skills. I’ve grown so much as a whole person.”

Fong shared a glimpse into what that balancing act looks like day-to-day.