Class Year: 2026 
Major/Minor: History major; Educational Studies & Peace & Justice minor
Program: IES Rome, Italy
Identities I can speak to students about: Women abroad
Program specific experiences I can speak about: Lived in a homestay; Volunteered in the host community
Favorite experience:
My favorite experiences were whenever I took the afternoon to wander around Rome, and stop wherever I wanted. Whether with friends or on my own, I would always find a new spot that I loved. I'll never forget the first time I visited the most beautiful cafe I've ever been in: unassumingly within a museum, the inside surrounds an open courtyard and has a gorgeous mural painted on the walls. My jaw dropped when I walked inside
What course/internship experience during your global study semester allowed you to learn something new and exciting?
I took a course on immigration in Italy and the European Union, and learned a great deal about contemporary issues facing the EU. I don't typically study these topics, and so I was learning new things throughout the entire semester. We discussed Rome and Italy's attitudes toward immigration and diversity, and how these compare to prevailing attitudes in the US. As a part of this course, we also talked to immigrants, public leaders in the community, and representatives of different organizations doing work to support immigration, which was fascinating!
How have your global studies related to one of the 7 Enduring Skills?
My study abroad program introduced me to lots of new students who I had never met. I didn't know a single other person when I arrived in Rome, and so I had to learn how to work with new people quickly. This contributed to numerous Enduring Skills, but especially to teamwork. In this new environment, I had to rely on other people for help often. This meant that whether I was working on projects for class, navigating around Rome, or traveling to other countries, I was working with little teams. There were challenging moments when our goals or personalities wouldn't align, but this was all a part of meeting and working with new people. I definitely learned new strategies for connecting and compromising, which are skills that will stay with me!