The Power of Leaving & Returning, Part 1

featuring Lucia Ducci

“So, all these practical or academic challenges that we might encounter or have encountered are really important steps that helped me, that help anybody, who's on this path to grow and to progress, personally and academically; and this is the most important thing, progress, to progress, that you are progressing.” Lucia Ducci

This first part of my chat with Lucia Ducci, Director of the Holy Cross College Program in Florence, centers on her journey to the United States, why she went and stayed, and ultimately chose to return to Italy, providing us with a thought-provoking example of reverse brain drain. We also discuss the importance of deliberately living abroad for personal and professional growth, which Lucia sees as a bold and empowering opportunity for women who want to live their lives fully.

In addition to her personal narrative, Lucia and I also begin to discuss the riveting story of pioneer US expat Sarah Parker Remond.

Sensitive language warning

Lucia quotes, directly from historical sources, an Italian appellation given to Sarah Parker Remond during her time in Italy. Remond was an American activist and abolitionist who moved to Italy from England in 1867 to study medicine in Florence. She resided in Italy until her death in 1894. See links below for further information and be sure to tune in to part two of the podcast next week.

Biography

Lucia Ducci is Director of the Florence Program for the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Massachusetts, professor of Italian, and a translator.

She holds a Ph.D from the University of Florence with a dissertation on the US perception of Italy during the first two decades of the 20th century. She is the author of a book, with Stefano Luconi and Matteo Pretelli, on the relations between Italy and the United States from the Risorgimento to the consequences of 9/11, and of a collection of letters of George Perkins Marsh, first US ambassador to Italy and father of ecology.

Over the last few years, she has focused her research on emancipation and women’s movements.

Lucia is also a certified yogi and nlp (neurolinguistic programming) practitioner. She says that the best day of her life was meeting Gloria Steinem and conversing with her.

linkedin.com/in/lucia-ducci-b4089b100

https://www.instagram.com/sunflowerfiel29/

Links

College of the Holy Cross

https://www.holycross.edu/

Holy Cross Program Florence

https://www.holycross.edu/engaged-learning/study-abroad/italy/universit%C3%A0-di-firenze

University of Florence

https://www.unifi.it/vp-11335-welcome-to-unifi.html

Sarah Parker Remond Biography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Parker_Remond

Santa Maria Nuova Hospital https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_of_Santa_Maria_Nuova

Santa Maria Nuova Foundation

https://www.fondazionesantamarianuova.it/

Santa Maria Nuova Museum

https://www.fondazionesantamarianuova.it/scopri-il-museo-di-santa-maria-nuova/