Aggies Across the Atlantic: How a Two-Week Immersion in Italy Transforms Freshmen Into Confident Campus Leaders

For over 30 years, the MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar has shaped generations of Aggies by providing global perspective.

By Tylie McDonald ’27

Lead photo provided by the Memorial Student Center

March 17, 2026

In the summer of 1992, a group of Texas A&M University freshmen boarded a plane for Italy as the first cohort of the Champe Fitzhugh Jr. International Honors Leadership Seminar, unaware that they were stepping into a legacy that would span decades. Among them was Patrick Conway ’96, a College Station native whose father had been a longtime chemistry professor at Texas A&M. It was his first time leaving the country, and what unfolded over those two weeks was an experience he would never forget. “The trip for me was life-changing,” Conway recalled.

In 1992, a tradition began when students embarked on the first trip of what is now the MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar. (Photo provided by the Memorial Student Center)

One afternoon, fueled by curiosity and confidence, Conway and a few classmates organized an impromptu train ride to Rome. When they arrived at the Vatican, excitement quickly turned into improvisation when they learned that entry to the Sistine Chapel required attire that met strict standards. Conway found himself purchasing paper pants on the spot to comply with the dress code. It was an unforgettable moment, equal parts humorous and humbling. Beneath the laughter was something deeper: the realization that the world was far bigger than he had imagined.

And then there was the gelato. Each evening, after walking ancient streets and engaging in conversations about leadership, ethics and culture, the group gathered in town squares with fresh scoops of Italian gelato. It was in those simple moments that leadership moved from concept to conviction. That experience sparked a lifelong passion for global engagement and laid a foundation for Conway’s future. He would go on to serve as Memorial Student Center (MSC) president, earn a M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine and now leads as CEO of health care company Optum, often tracing his leadership journey back to Texas A&M and to that first summer abroad.

Known today as the MSC Conway-Fitzhugh International Honors Leadership Seminar, the program selects up to 24 high-achieving freshmen each year for a two-week immersive leadership experience in Italy. As the seminar has evolved over the years, it’s remained firmly rooted in its founding purpose: shaping globally minded Aggie leaders whose experiences abroad influence their lives long after they return home.

Mentorship in Motion

The seminar itself was the vision of Thomas Fitzhugh III ’71, a National Merit Scholar and former MSC Council president. Inspired by the mentorship and encouragement he received throughout his life — particularly from his father, Thomas “Champe” Fitzhugh Jr. ’38 — Fitzhugh established a gift to ensure future generations would have access to the kind of global exposure that had shaped him.

It was during those experiences that I fell in love with traveling and saw a need to establish a way for students like me to get international exposure.
- Thomas Fitzhugh III ’71

“Without the generosity of mentors, I would not have been positively impacted by study abroad experiences,” Fitzhugh shared. “It was during those experiences that I fell in love with traveling and saw a need to establish a way for students like me to get international exposure.”

There is a meaningful symmetry in the program’s story. Conway’s father once taught chemistry to Fitzhugh. Years later, Conway participated in the very first trip Fitzhugh created. In 2019, after building a career in health care leadership, Conway and his wife, Heather, chose to create their own endowment for the program that had impacted him so that other students could experience the same transformative journey.

“Someone invested in me,” Conway said. “This is a way to pay it forward.” Today, he reads postcards from each cohort and meets with participants whenever possible, continuing the cycle of mentorship that first influenced him.

A Passport to Perspective

Today, under the guidance of MSC Programs Director Jennifer Boyle ’97, the program begins recruitment during New Student Conferences and continues into the fall semester. While the program partners with the Office of Admissions to conduct targeted outreach to National Merit Scholars and honors students, all freshmen are eligible to apply through a competitive selection process.

Prior to 2025, the trip occurred in the summer before students began classes. Recently, the trip timeframe shifted to winter break to allow participants to first find their footing on campus while still receiving early, formative leadership development, in addition to providing time for intentional pre-trip preparation.

Students participate in multiple fall orientation sessions covering logistics, cultural preparation and expectations. During the trip, students typically stay in three to four cities — including Rome, Tuscania, Florence and Venice — with visits to Assisi, Murano and Burano. The itinerary blends guided exploration of historically and culturally significant sites with experiential activities such as cooking classes, olive oil tastings and artisan workshops.

Interwoven throughout the experience are six structured leadership sessions covering personal leadership, followership, ethical leadership and global responsibility. These sessions are led by Texas A&M educators, with upperclassmen peer leaders facilitating team-building exercises and daily reflections that help students process their growth in real time.

“Taking students out of their natural habitat forces a new perspective,” Boyle said. Immersed in a different culture, students confront assumptions, examine personal values and reflect deeply on integrity — a theme woven intentionally throughout the seminar.

Sweet Lessons

For Kamryn Sanchez ’27, who attended the seminar before beginning her first semester at Texas A&M, Italy was both an adventure and a defining moment. Traveling internationally without her family and joining a group of students she had never met felt intimidating at first. But somewhere between Italian language lessons in Assisi and standing in a sunflower field in Castiglion Fiorentino, something shifted. “It pushed me to step outside my comfort zone in the best way possible,” she said.

Evenings always ended with gelato and conversation. Those shared reflections transformed unfamiliar faces into lifelong friends and helped ease her transition into freshman year.

Now a junior double majoring in psychology and political science and actively involved in the MSC Student Conference on National Affairs, the Texas A&M Pre-Law Society and multiple honors programs, Sanchez credits the seminar with establishing her confidence and sense of belonging. “I truly believe my Aggie experience would not be the same without this opportunity,” she said.

Left: On her 2023 trip, Kamryn Sanchez ’27 found a new sense of confidence that has shaped her time in Aggieland. (Photo provided by Sanchez) Right: Adeline Streett ’29 enjoyed exploring and reflecting on excellence and ethics while on the 2025-26 trip. (Photo provided by Streett)

For Adeline Streett ’29, her Conway-Fitzhugh experience carried another layer of meaning. Her mother, Katie Streett ’99, attended the seminar years earlier. This winter, Adeline followed in her footsteps.

Standing inside the Sistine Chapel and walking through the Galileo Museum, she reflected on perseverance and excellence. “Knowing that people in the past accomplished so much through hard work, despite persecution, made me realize that every person can pursue excellence,” she said.

An economics major and member of the university’s Honors Academy, Streett found resonance in conversations about ethical leadership and integrity — values she connects directly to the Aggie Code of Honor.

“It’s important to continue the tradition of personal integrity handed down to us from older Aggies,” she said. “When people meet an Aggie, they already understand your values.” For her, the seminar was not simply a trip abroad; it was a continuation of an Aggie legacy.

The Journey Continues

More than three decades after Fitzhugh first envisioned sending students overseas, the seminar remains a cornerstone of MSC Programs. Former participants consistently rise to prominent leadership roles across campus and beyond, carrying with them a global mindset and commitment to ethical leadership.

Yet sustaining that impact requires continued support. Rising international travel costs present ongoing challenges, and donor generosity remains essential in reducing financial barriers, enhancing experiential opportunities and ensuring the program’s long-term stability.

In 1992, a young Aggie stood in the Vatican wearing paper pants, tasting gelato for the first time and realizing the world was far bigger than College Station. Today, through vision and generosity, new generations of Aggies are stepping into that same realization — discovering that leadership knows no borders.

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