English and Italian major preserves stories, honors heritage via history project

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alexis Wilson, a fourth-year Penn State student, is a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar pursuing a double major in English and Italian with a minor in art history.

Hailing from Mars, Pennsylvania, Wilson has long had a passion for literature and language, a love that has shaped both her academic and personal journey, she said.

“I have loved English since I was a little girl. My parents will tell you I could always be found with my nose in a book,” said Wilson, whose early passion solidified in high school, when an English class confirmed her love for reading, analysis and literature.

Growing up in a close Italian American family on her maternal side, Wilson was also deeply influenced by her heritage. Stories from her grandfather about his parents, their immigration journey and family traditions, she said, sparked an interest in Italian culture that eventually led her to Penn State’s robust education abroad programs.

Initially planning to minor in Italian, Wilson’s first study abroad experience in Salerno, Italy, through a faculty-led course inspired her to pursue Italian as a second major.

Last May, Wilson participated in a two-week experience in Spain and Italy as part of the SPAN/IT/PORT 210N Multilingual and Intercultural Communication embedded program with faculty leaders Lauren Halberstadt, associate teaching professor of Spanish, and Joseph Bauman, teaching professor of Spanish. 

“Being immersed in Italy and Spain completely changed how I understood language and culture,” Wilson said. “Using Italian and Spanish in everyday conversations helped me gain confidence and see how what I study in the classroom connects to real people and real places.”

Wilson said her academic journey has been further shaped by involvement in both the Paterno Fellows Program and Schreyer Honors College.

“During my New Student Orientation, my academic adviser recommended I join the Paterno Fellows Program,” she said. “And by the end of my first year, I knew Schreyer was the right fit for the connections and research opportunities it offered.”

Wilson said she found her dual majors complement each other seamlessly, with her studies in English enhancing her understanding of Italian, particularly in translation and literary analysis.

Recently, she applied her linguistic and research skills as a research intern working with Maria Truglio, professor of Italian and of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, on a digital archive dedicated to preserving the stories of Italian American women living in Centre County. The project, part of the broader “Centre County’s History Otherwise: Narrating and Mapping Brazilian, Hispanic, and Italian Women’s Stories” oral history, collects recorded interviews, transcripts, abstracts and historical information, capturing personal experiences that might otherwise be lost. Wilson’s primary role involved transcribing interviews and creating detailed abstracts.

She credited the internship with strengthening both her technical and personal skills, from transcription accuracy to empathetic listening.

“Transcribing an interview can take about a week,” Wilson said. “It’s an intensive process that requires rewinding, re-listening and researching to make sure everything is accurate. But it’s incredibly rewarding.”

One story in particular, she said, left a lasting impression on her.

“The first transcript I worked on really stuck with me,” she said. “As the interviewee opened up, you could hear her memories coming alive, and it was a reminder of how much history exists in everyday people’s experiences, especially women, whose voices often go unheard.”

Wilson said the internship also deepened her understanding of Italian American identity.

“Learning Italian has helped me think about my own identity and cultural heritage,” she said. “Visiting Italy and speaking with locals showed me that being an Italian American is a unique experience and one that is shaped by a deep respect for our roots while recognizing the separation created by immigration.”

Enrichment funding available through the Paterno Fellows Program made the internship possible, she said.

“Because the internship was unpaid, the funding allowed me to dedicate the time needed without having to work extra hours at my job,” Wilson said, emphasizing the importance of such support for humanities students pursuing community-based or archival work.

Looking ahead, Wilson plans to continue building her expertise in translation, archival research and women’s history. She is applying to graduate programs at Italian universities, hoping to work in publishing or archival work related to Italian historical materials.

Her advice to students is simple but powerful.

“Reach out and build relationships with professors,” she said. “Be curious and follow up after class; opportunities open up when you show genuine interest.”

Liberal Arts students interested in education abroad can learn more about enrichment funding and embedded programs through the college. Those interested in the "Multilingual and Intercultural Communication" embedded course for Maymester 2026 should email Lauren Halberstadt at lyp5028@psu.edu prior to the commitment form deadline on Sunday, Feb. 1.