More Than an Adventure - NYSID’s Study Abroad Semester in Florence, 2026

Briana Yannuzzelli (BFA), Natalia Kamesh (BFA), Johannes Knoop, Annika Rea (BFA), and Garvi Shah (BFA) at Museo degli Innocenti in Florence, Italy

In spring 2026, NYSID Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design (BFA) students Natalia Kamesh, Ashanti King-Wynn, Annika Rea, Garvi Shah, and Briana Yannuzzelli traveled to Florence, Italy, for a full semester of study abroad through NYSID’s partnership with the Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). Each year, NYSID sends an accomplished faculty member to accompany the students as an instructor, making it possible for students to take in-person NYSID studios courses, while they take their electives with SRISA, as well as other NYSID courses virtually. This year, the NYSID Study Abroad instructor is the architect Johannes Knoops, a practicing interior designer and widely published scholar with expertise in the art, architecture, and design of Italy.  

The format ensures NYSID students can stay on track with their BFA degree while having the adventure of a lifetime in another culture. “Being able to come to Europe has been exciting. I had never traveled outside of the United States, and neither has my family, so this felt like stepping into an entirely different world. Seeing places I had only ever known through movies or pictures in real life has been surreal,” says one of the 2026 Study Abroad Scholars Ashanti King-Wynn. “The friendships I’ve built and the shared experiences I’ve had here will stay with me long after the program ends.”  

Ashanti King-Wynn (BFA) at the Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain

Briana Yannuzzelli (BFA), Annika Rea (BFA), and Garvi Shah (BFA) at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The leaders of the New York School of Interior Design believe that travel study is essential to the development of interior designers. The College has one of the most innovative and flexible design-specific travel study programs available—with a full semester in Florence for BFA students and short-term courses in destinations around the world (including Spain, Japan and Southern California this May and June) for students enrolled in any NYSID degree program. These options would not exist without the supporters of NYSID’s Travel Study Fund. Most NYSID students have to work their way through design school in order to pursue the career of their dreams, and have little to spare for the additional costs of studying abroad. Travel Study scholarships remove the barriers that keep students from having the full NYSID experience. “When we set out to create an array of design-specific study sbroad programs for our students, we understood we had to build a fund to make Travel Study accessible to as many students as possible,” says David Sprouls, NYSID president. “Without the support of our funders, NYSID Study Abroad would not be the success it has become.” This year, all five students received a partial scholarship to offset the additional costs of Study Abroad (including Italy’s study abroad program fee, travel expenses, housing, dining, and SRISA-led activities such as field trips to design destinations such as Venice). A significant gift from Jonathan Gargiulo of John Rosselli & Associates made the experience of a semester abroad in Florence possible for all five of the students. Important support for study abroad scholarships also came from Ellie Cullman, NYSID Board Chair Ellen Kravet, and NYSID trustees Jill Dienst, Jim Druckman, Young Huh, Dennis Miller, Michael Phillips and David Scott. 

We’ve spoken with three of the 2026 Study Abroad scholars about what makes this program so transformative. 

Seeing the World Differently 

Natalia Kamesh, a BFA student and Study Abroad scholar who is on track to graduate in December 2026, says, “The city of Florence inspires me . . .its art, architecture, and history. I'm constantly learning from my surroundings, and it's a very different experience from New York. Seeing all of this Renaissance art and being in another country has changed the way I think as a designer because I notice the details. I’ve become more intentional and aware of context.”  

Garvi Shah reflects, “The city itself becomes part of your education. On my walks, I find myself noticing proportions, materials, and small design details; what works and what doesn’t. Instead of rushing through things, I’ve started paying more attention to my surroundings, and that shift has been really important for me.” 

Like many of the other students, Ashanti King-Wynn has had an opportunity to visit other cities and towns in Europe, including Paris, Rome, Cinque Terre, Palermo, Venice, and Barcelona. “Visiting Barcelona’s La Sagrada Família was one of the most awe-inspiring experiences I’ve ever had,” she said. “The scale, the light, the colors… it didn’t feel like just a building, it felt almost unreal. I remember not wanting to leave because there was so much to take in, and every angle felt like a completely different experience. It made me realize how powerful design and architecture can be when it’s done with intention and emotion.” 

Ashanti King-Wynn (BFA), Natalia Kamesh (BFA), Garvi Shah (BFA), Annika Rea (BFA), and Briana Yannuzzelli (BFA) at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy

A Multi-level NYSID Classroom that Challenges Students to Design in Historic Footprints 

The NYSID Study Abroad Studio Classroom in Florence is unique because the instructor teaches students who are at different stages of the BFA degree, so he is simultaneously teaching students who are taking Design Studio III: Contract A (restaurants and offices), Design Studio IV: Contract B (hospitality and retail environments), and Design Studio V: Contract C (wellness and healthcare environments), and Design Studio VI: Residential C (high-end residences), for example. The class is very small and intimate. Says Kamesh, “Johannes [Knoops] is a great teacher and designer who is good at teaching multiple levels. He works personally with each student, and he gives his feedback. As a student in my last year, I am taking [Contract C], and I love seeing students’ work on projects I have already done. I can see how my perspective has changed. Also, for them, it's really great to see what they're going to do next.” Adds, King-Wynn, “I’ve found [the multi-level format] valuable. Being around students working on different types of projects gives you more exposure to ideas and approaches you wouldn’t normally see in just one class. It feels a bit more like a real-world studio environment, where people are working on different projects but still sharing ideas and feedback.” 

The students learn an additional layer of historic preservation, space planning, and adaptive reuse because they design one of their projects in the footprint of the former Convent of Sant'Orsola, built in the early 14th century, now a museum in the heart of Florence that has gone through many evolutions, including a period as a tobacco factory.

The class visited Sant'Orsola (though this year, the interior was under construction, and they had to view it from outside). “Teaching what some refer to as a ‘vertical studio’ has many advantages in that students at a variety of levels actively learn from each other,” comments study abroad studio instructor Knoops. “It’s fascinating for them to share the same site of Sant’Orsola and see how they each tackle it differently with a variety of programs. It’s a challenging site with existing conditions dating back to the 14th century, where load-bearing walls are approximately 30 inches thick and some interior spaces are 30 feet high. For the first time, students confront cloisters, barrel vaults, cross vaults, sail vaults and heavy timber beamed spaces!”   

For Contract B, King-Wynn created a Nintendo museum in the footprint of Sant'Orsola. She says, “It’s definitely been a fun challenge blending history with something so playful.”       

Electives that Enhance the Experience 

Kamesh says, “I love both electives I am taking with SRISA. I'm taking an art history course focusing on Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Bernini, and the other one is Italian (language). This art history course is a unique opportunity to study these masters’ works in person. And Italian class is also great, because it helps me connect with Italians and their culture.” 

Shah is taking Discovering Florence and the art history class focused on Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Bernini. She says, “The Discovering Florence class has been one of my favorite parts of this experience. We’ve had the chance to interact with locals, try things like gelato-making, visit smaller villages near Florence, and even attend the opera. It feels like truly experiencing the city in a deeper way.” 

Adds Knoops, “Through their SRISA courses, the students formed friendships with students from other colleges and majors:  graphic designers, illustrators, photographers and fashion designers, to the point where at least one of our students will be participating on the runway at the end of the semester’s Gala Fashion Show.” 

Study Abroad Changes Designers 

Kamesh acknowledges that it’s difficult to summarize the impact study abroad is having on her because she is still in Italy and integrating all she has learned into her final project of Contract C. Yet she says, “I think I'm more observant as a result of studying abroad, and more thoughtful in my design, because I'm much more aware of history, of culture, and the different ways people live.” She adds, “I'm incredibly grateful for the scholarship. This is an opportunity that would not have been possible for me without the support.” 

Says Shah, “Before, I focused on how things look, but now I think more about how a space is experienced over time: the light, the textures, the mood. . .Being able to live and study in Florence is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, both personally and professionally.”

King-Wynn says of her experience, “Studying abroad has made me more aware of how design is tied to culture, history, and daily life. . .I’ve become more interested in how design can create emotional experiences, not just functional ones. Overall, it’s made me more thoughtful and intentional in my work. . .I’ve been able to see, learn, and grow in ways that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I’m incredibly grateful, and I will carry this experience with me for the rest of my life.” 

About NYSID’s Travel Study Fund  

NYSID’s Travel Study Fund makes study abroad and travel study in the US possible for students. The fund provides partial and full scholarships to the College’s Study Abroad Semester in Florence; 10-day to two-week travel study courses in destinations such as Japan, Mexico and India and grants for independent travel study. Scholarship applications from this fund are open to all students with demonstrated financial need who are in good academic standing, whether enrolled in an online or in-person degree program. 

To discuss a donation to the Travel Study Fund or underwriting a scholarship for Study Abroad, reach out to Joy Cooper, NYSID’s Director of Development, at giving@nysid.edu or make a donation and designate “Scholarships - Travel” HERE. 

NYSID will send out an announcement detailing Study Abroad, Florence in the late summer. It will include directions on how to apply for scholarships to the Spring 2027 Study Abroad semester. Interested students should reach out to the Office of Academic Affairs for more information at academicaffairs@nysid.edu.