Almost a Local
When Cooper Macy ’25 arrived in Italy for an accelerated language program the summer before his sophomore year, he faced a steep learning curve. Living with a local family in the small town of Grado, his two semesters of Italian were quickly put to the test. “I remember sitting down at dinner on that first night. I didn’t know what was going on,” Macy recalls. “But about three weeks in, it just kind of clicked. By the end of the summer, I was fully participating in conversations.”
The experience taught Macy important lessons about perseverance, self-confidence and the value of being uncomfortable. But it also granted him an appreciation for seeing the world through the lens of another culture, solidifying his decision to choose Italian as a major – alongside a second major in global health. “At first I planned to take two semesters of Italian so I could get it over with and be done. Now, I’m totally invested.”
After making a return trip to Italy the following year with the DePauw football team, Macy knew where he wanted to land for his Management Fellows internship as a junior. Having heard about a program in Rome through some of his Delta Tau Delta fraternity brothers, Macy jumped at the opportunity. While there, he split his time between the classroom – where he studied European business and business communications – and the workplace – where he interned in social media and marketing with an international volleyball camp.
Macy made the city his home. “When you live in a place for four months, you become almost a local. You find that favorite restaurant, you get to know the staff, you see their excitement when you come in. That’s the stuff that’s really special. I’m grateful I got to do it and definitely would do it again.”
For Macy, the opportunity to connect with people across cultural boundaries has been insightful. “I’ve met so many people from all over the world. It’s been eye-opening, and it’s changed my whole perspective. Everywhere I’ve gone, people want the same things out of life. We have a lot more in common than we have different.”
As he prepares for a career in international sports management, Macy is eager to carry the lessons from Italy with him. “The overarching thing I’ve learned is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Sometimes the thing you didn’t expect to happen or didn’t want to happen is the best thing that could have happened for you.”
Majors: Italian and global health
Hometown: Bloomington, Indiana
Campus Involvement: Management Fellows, Delta Tau Delta, Sports Management and Administration Group, Football, Sports Director at WGRE
Internships/Winter Terms: Temple University Rome, Grado Language Program
