For many years, students at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) have had the opportunity to study abroad at the Florence University of the Arts in Italy, taking a deep dive into Italian cuisine while exploring the many cultural treasures the city has to offer. For Meriel Robbins, a rising junior majoring in Baking & Pastry Arts, the experience has been a dream come true.

Robbins’ lifelong love for cooking and baking grew out of an early obsession with cupcakes. Known as “the kid who always made cupcakes,” she would delight family friends and neighbors in her hometown of Mystic, Conn., with fabulous, sometimes bold creations. The cupcakes made people smile, which was all the hook she needed to aspire to a career centered around beautiful desserts.

“Who doesn’t want to do something for a living that always makes people happy? And, bakeries and cake shops have such potential as community hubs that bring people together; they can feel like a home away from home where people can just be at peace,” she says.

Robbins also loves art—a passion that is a boon to anyone in the culinary field but perhaps none more so than bakers and pastry chefs, whose creations become works of art in and of themselves. Her favorite artist, Claude Monet, and his dreamy impressionist representations of gardens, bodies of water and nature, have already influenced how she adorns cakes. “I also like using traditional art supplies like palette knives to decorate and create interesting effects.” And while not home to Monet, Florence, arguably the art capital of the world, was the perfect city for Robbins to immerse herself in both the fine and culinary arts, exploring iconic museums, art galas and a veritable playground of culinary excellence. “It’s all so inspirational, especially when artists use color and brushstroke to represent the natural world in their own ways. And this all translates so well to cakes,” she explains.

Electives to travel and study overseas are popular among JWU students, with options as varied as the university’s majors and specialties. Some are one- to four-week, faculty-led immersions, such as the Uncorked: Old Wines & Beverages program in Germany, ideal for a sommelier student, and the Culture & Cuisine of the Mediterranean session in Greece, which includes cooking classes with local chefs, tours of wineries and olive oil facilities, and visits to iconic sites like the Acropolis. Direct enrollment programs place students in partner institutions, such as Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie in Yssingeaux, France, for a summer session or semester. Robbins’ program falls under the latter camp, and its format offers more flexibility in choosing a course schedule, which allowed her to balance culinary studies with broader classes that delved into art, culture and history.

Like many students who study abroad, she has caught the travel bug and is wide open to see where her travels—and career—take her. She loves the idea of a cake-focused catering business that specializes in so-called “cake buffets” for celebrating special occasions. “But, I want to represent the things that are so important to my generation, specifically health and environmental awareness. Using ingredients that allow people with allergies, aversions or other wellness concerns to still eat cake will be important,” she says. She also sees the value in supporting the broader community through local sourcing and welcomes the challenges that often entails. “And, social media will continue to be so important in how businesses market themselves and connect with their communities,” she adds.

For now, Robbins is keen to travel the world, seeking out inspiration and studying the global pantry of ingredients so she can take her treats to the next level. “Cakes are so much fun—the flavor and texture layering possibilities are almost limitless; I love using fresh, seasonal ingredients and experimenting with syrups, surprise savory twists and crunch layers as a way of making something a little healthier,” she says. “And of course, the outside of the cake is a blank canvas.”