It seems like yesterday we were just meeting all the students of the Class of 2016 during Orientation Day, and so far in these past four weeks they’ve had lessons in Coffee Genetics, Coffee Industrial Process, Green Coffee Markets and Market consumption models and distribution channels!!! They have all been FULL weeks: Monday through Friday starting class at 9am to finish at 4.30pm and sometimes even later since they all have Italian class once a week from 4.30pm to 5.30pm!
But despite the heavy load of lessons, they have time to also have fun! They have been practicing as team for the annual football/soccer match “Coffee Masters vs illycaffè” to be held in May (hoping in the meantime that no one breaks any bones before then!). They have study groups where they study 40% of the time and dedicate 60% to getting to know each other. They go on excursions together, such as spend a sunny day celebrating Carnival in Venice. They share their meals together and go out to explore Trieste (and its “watering holes”) together…slowly but surely this Class of 2016 is becoming a group of good friends – dare I say, a family?
And what a mix-matched bunch: 24 people representing Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Italy, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Taiwan and the United States…it’s kind of wonderful how they just all come together. And that is all thanks to our beloved Coffee!
So, what’s in store for our motley crew in the coming weeks? Well, they have lab work at the University of Trieste, a visit to a decaffeination plant, 25+ hours of coffee brewing classes at Università di Caffè and of course their first official exam on Coffee Genetics!
Thank the Lord for great coffee…they’ll need it!