Spotlight on Marist Alumni – Nina Hsu:

Nina Hsu ‘20

Marist Italy is lucky to have a talented group of international alumni, and Nina Hsu is one of them. After growing up in Taipei, Taiwan, Nina moved to Florence to study in the Marist BA program, majoring in Art Conservation and Art History. Nina was kind enough to answer some questions about her time in Florence, and these are her answers:

“My best memories of my time in Florence are the dinner parties I would throw with my friends in my apartment in Santa Croce where I would cook, play music and just have a great time. What I enjoy most about living in Florence was getting to know the city and making it a home. That being said, it wasn’t without challenges. The slow pace when it came to important administrative documents, the permesso appointments, and trying to navigate life while being seen perpetually as a foreigner no matter how much Italian you know or didn’t know, definitely were challenges that even the beautiful façade of the Duomo couldn’t ease.”

“My time in Italy definitely left its mark on me, and greatly influenced my decisions. I got to experience quality not only in the priceless artwork and artisanal goods, but also in food and raw ingredients. Whenever I’m away from Italy I try relentlessly (and fail) to find the flavors that can compare.”

“Since my time in Florence, I moved to Hong Kong for my company and in February of 2022, they relocated me to New York City to lead my department in the US. In the short term, I’m looking forward to helping drive my company’s growth in the US market and being recognized as one of the experts in my field. Long term however, I look forward to taking some time off to go on a food, art and wellness retreat where I can toss my phone away and disappear for a little bit.”

“In the meantime though, whenever I get a chance to go back, I always make sure to pay my favorite restaurant Irene by the Savoy Florence a visit. The Irene Spritz is truly a fabulous choice and even more so when enjoyed with the view of all the people coming and going in Piazza della Repubblica.”