Samuel met his girlfriend, Francesca, when the Italian girl was on vacation in the USA, where the guy lived. He wasn’t the kind of manly man the girl used to date, but there was something about him that made her very interested, and they soon started dating.
The problem was that she couldn't stay in the USA for too long. She was about to start her third semester of law school in Milan, so she had to go back to Italy soon.
Samuel was eighteen years old, a year younger than her, so he hadn’t yet entered college. He wanted to get a degree in architecture, and his classes would start in the next fall. However, as expected, he was sad for being forced to stay away from his new girlfriend.
Then, he decided to try something. After some research, he discovered that a university in Milan was offering scholarships to foreigners, and he signed up for that. The guy didn't think he had much chance to get it, but who knows...
Some time later, to his amazement, he found out that he had been selected! It was amazing. He wouldn't only be able to stay close to Francesca but would also study in a very well-regarded university… for free! This was almost too good to be true...
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Okay, this story takes place in Italy, but there's no cultural change this time! :-p