Cindy Escobar Lopez '27 | Fashion Merchandising Major, Business Minor | Travel Course: Florence, Italy | Presidential Fund for Equity Recipient 

Each day in Florence, Cindy walked past the Duomo, struck by how surreal it felt to be there. The historic city and its centuries-old architecture felt worlds away from her hometown in Westchester County, N.Y. Donor support made it possible for Cindy to join Marist’s “Study Behind the Seams in Italy” program, where she and her classmates traveled across northern and central Italy, visiting museums, a silk production shop, and a leather goods factory. 

Navigating a new country pushed Cindy to become more adaptable and comfortable in unfamiliar settings — and opened her eyes to the possibility of working abroad. Interested in a career that combines human resources and fashion, she also returned with a stronger sense of the kind of organization she hopes to join. Visits to Italian fashion businesses underscored the importance of workplace values, sustainability, and the people behind the products. At a family-run, intimate Florence leather factory, watching artisans create handbags by hand gave her a new appreciation for the skill, time, and care behind high-quality fashion. 

Cindy returned to Marist with greater confidence, a broader perspective, and a new sense of what might be possible for her future.