Martina Rosa

Site Director in Florence

The Site Director is CIS Abroad's On-Site staff.  Their job is to support the CIS Abroad students throughout their on-site study abroad experience. They serve as a cultural liaison, organizing excursions, cultural activities, and providing invaluable guidance on everything from the local cuisine to navigating public transportation.  If students run into any issues while abroad - Romina and Martina are there to help provide resources and guidance.  

When Martina was 16, she lived in Brazil for a year and that experience completely changed her life. She fell in love with the world of abroad experiences and discovered her Ikigai: getting in touch with different cultures and passing this passion on to other young people. She graduated in International Studies at the University of Trento.  She also worked one year in the UK as an au-pair and one year in Spain as an educator and site manager for pre-med American students. Her desire to work in the world of international education is her life mission. She wants to give to the world what the world has given to her; she wants more people to respect cultural diversity and would like young people to develop their empathy during their period abroad.

Romina Marchionne

International Operations Assistant Director for Italy

The International Operations Director ensures that the study abroad program runs smoothly, overseeing on-site logistics, health and safety measures, and responding to emergencies. Romina works closely with Martina to ensure that the program is set up and ready for students. Then, they work closely together when students are on-site to ensure that things run as smoothly as possible. Romina may work directly with students if they have special requests, they experience an emergency, or if they need additional accommodations when they are abroad.

Romina is a native Roman with degrees in International Communications (2005) and International Relations (2007) at the University for Foreigners of Perugia. Shortly after graduating, she moved back to Rome and began her study abroad career working for IES. In Rome, she began pursing her M.A. in International Affairs at the SIOI. After completing an internship at the Italian Development Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, her career took a turn as Romina was offered a position to work as a Communication and Public Information Officer within the civilian component of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Herat for the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Between 2008-09, Romina completed two missions in Afghanistan. In 2009, she began working for the Italian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, which then led her to cover the same position at the Italian Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen. In Spring 2011, the Italian government ordered embassy staff to return home due to the uncertain situation of the Arab Spring. Ever since, Romina has enjoyed her return to the eternal city, and to her career in study abroad through CIS Abroad.

Travel Tip! If while traveling there's no internet, embrace it. Play a card game with someone in the hostel common room, read a book, lie on the beach, go for a walk, talk to a stranger, think about life. Some of my favourite travel memories are from times when I didn't have an Internet connection.

Irina Iordache

Student Services Coordinator

"I was born in the Romanian countryside and raised on the Tuscan coast in Piombino. I later moved to Pisa, where I earned a double honors degree in Political Science and International Relations, followed by a Master's in International Relations and Migration Governance. I have had the chance to learn in multiple international environments: as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Pisa, as a volunteer with the Italian Red Cross, where I represented the Italian delegation on an international mission in Serbia and contributed to EU-funded health prevention programs, and through academic programs in Oslo and Dublin focused on governance, peacebuilding, and global mobility. I’ve been also working directly with migrants as a legal advisor, supporting people on the move through complex and vulnerable moments of their lives. As a second-generation migrant, I grew up navigating different cultures, languages, and systems from an early age. That experience shaped how I listen, how I adapt, and how I show up for people who are finding their footing somewhere new."

Travel Tip! Be a forever student, that's the only mindset that actually works abroad. Expect to feel out of place, confused, cringe. Don't avoid it: lean into it. That discomfort is safe, because it’s exactly where the growth happens. Stay positive, trust the process, and let the experience surprise you.