Spotlight on Marist Alumni – Kip Gilbert:

Kip Gilbert ‘20

Marist Italy has an extensive list of successful alumni, and Kip Gilbert is one of them. Originally from Barrington, Rhode Island, Kip moved to Florence, Italy in 2017 to study Global Marketing Communications. He was only supposed to be in Florence for the entirety of his sophomore year, but after only being in Florence for a few months and learning more about the BA program, he knew that this was one of those opportunities in life that he couldn’t pass up. 

After graduating from Marist Italy in 2020, Kip moved to New York City and now works in Global Affairs at an international law firm. 

We asked Kip about some of his favorite moments while studying at Marist Italy, and this is what he told us:

“It’s hard to look back on those three years in Florence and pick a favorite moment in particular. It’s been almost three years since I left Florence for the last time as a college student and yet I can still close my eyes and immediately be taken back to countless moments of bliss that I experienced while there. Generally, I look back at my time in Florence and enjoy the memories of friendship, community and adventure.

Through all moments, both good and bad, there was this constant sense of curiosity that I noticed within myself and my peers. We were young and eager to see the world, in an environment that for centuries has fostered the creativity, passion and desire of ‘being’ that is fundamental, in my opinion, to truly allow yourself to learn and grow. I look back at my time in Florence and am wildly grateful for having chosen to be in an environment that always encouraged exploration of both oneself and the world around them, through opportunities which always manifested themselves in entirely different forms. 

When I decided to study in Florence, I had gone with the intention of one day leaving Florence having done everything in my power to learn the language and immerse myself in the culture. I think one of the biggest challenges I faced while there was experiencing this whole ‘coming of age’ while still so young and in a completely foreign environment. For any young adult, learning how to do things on your own and truly manage yourself as an independent is difficult, but doing so in a new city with a whole new set of people in a country you didn’t grow up in really does shake things up. That being said, I think this challenge itself is probably one of the most rewarding parts of taking part in the program. 

My academic education certainly played a large part in my experience while in Florence. Classrooms were typically much more collaborative, smaller in size and with students from varying backgrounds and cultures and it really fostered a well-rounded education. Education outside of the classroom was equally important. I learned an entirely new culture and language, how to be far more independent and importantly, I learned how to appreciate the value of la dolce vita. 

I think being a Marist student influenced every part of who I am today to be quite honest. My experience in Italy taught me countless lessons in life, through both trials and failures, success and accomplishments, most importantly being the value of following your dreams. I think my time in Italy vastly changed my perspective on what it meant to be happy, successful or to ‘have made it’ in life, where I now don’t necessarily find myself focusing on the ‘what if’s’ but I rather now look towards the ‘why not’s’.  My experience in Italy ultimately has made me more uncertain about where I will go in life, but it gave me a clarity needed to allow these choices to be in my best interest. 

I look at my life now and it’s certainly not what I had envisioned for myself in terms of where I would be and what I would be doing while I was still a student, but I can honestly say that I am very happy where I am. Where I will be living, what I will do for work and who I will be in life are all really up in the air for the future, but I do know that so many more adventures in life are out there waiting to happen. For now, I enjoy my work and have been fortunate to really find my rhythm here in New York, where I’ve enjoyed building a new life for myself. I always think about maybe moving back to Florence and settling down there, or maybe a few years in Paris where I could work at another firm for a year or two, or maybe I go to Rio and work for a non-profit, why not?” 

When we asked Kip what his favorite place in Florence is, he responded with absolute certainty, saying Piazza Santo Spirito. Whether it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon or a Friday night, some of Kip’s best memories from his time in Italy took place either sitting on the steps of the church, or over dinner at one of the restaurants lining the piazza.