Growing up in the town of Cremona, Italy, senior Martina Bernardi was always intrigued by the prospect of studying abroad in the United States, describing it as her biggest dream. Once the opportunity came to her two years ago, she knew she had to book a flight. Bernardi’s best friend had used the Rotary Youth Exchange program to study in France and recommended the program to her. After going through the five-month application process, which included two interviews and a weekend trip in Northern Italy, Bernardi chose the top five countries she wanted to study in: the United States, Canada, Norway, Finland and Denmark. Last April, Bernardi was notified they’d found a place for her to stay: Kansas City. To read more of this profile, click the link in bio. #socialmediabylucystephens #storybyalexharden