“I was surprised at how independent I became. By the end of my program, I was comfortable taking the metro across Rome to explore on my own. I found a new love for independently exploring.”
Studying abroad in a foreign country is an incredible experience, but having an internship in that country is an exclusive opportunity available to Illinois students. Christy Allen, a junior in Agricultural Communications, took advantage of this opportunity by studying abroad in Rome while also participating in an internship during Summer 2017. “I always knew I wanted to study abroad and spend time in Italy. It worked out perfectly that this program went hand in hand with my major.”
Christy spent the first four weeks of her experience in Rome taking classes and the remaining four weeks interning for the Merumalia Winery outside of Rome. “My role was marketing and communication based. I looked at social media from other wineries in the area and helped Merumalia create an improved communications strategy." Finding a program that complemented her major was a priority for Christy, and The Rome Food and Culture program was a perfect fit. “I have a pretty unique major, so to find a program that coincided with what I’m studying was great.”
“I got the chance to see things that I never would have seen otherwise. Things I wouldn’t have even known to go see.”
In addition to selecting a program that aligned with her major, Christy looked for a program that allowed her to gain hands-on experience in her field. “Being that the agriculture industry is becoming more global, I thought it was important to experience things from a different side of agriculture. I gained more experience in working with different crops than what I’m used to and I think that will benefit me and my future career in agriculture.”
Not only did Christy gain experience in her field, but she learned a lot about herself by interacting with unfamiliar cultures. “I learned a lot about communicating across language barriers and dealing with cultural aspects that are different from my own. It really got me out of my comfort zone." Working just outside of Rome, Christy was able to be more than a tourist. “I met a family that was visiting the winery and I ended up riding the train back to Rome with them where we got pizza and biked around the city. I thought it was a special experience to spend time with people that truly know the city and where to go.”
“I was in Rome long enough that I didn’t feel like a tourist. I learned the ins and outs of the city and made all kinds of friends along the way.”
Even though Christy was on a short-term program, she felt like she had plenty of time to travel. “Besides the trip to The Park of the Aqueducts that Gustolab planned for us, I had all of my other weekends free to travel somewhere new." Christy made the most of her time by traveling to Florence, Venice, Bologna and Cinque Terre, just to name a few. “I knew I would never be able to travel like this again so I wanted to make the most of my time there.”
Christy learned many things while she was abroad, but her most valuable takeaway was a deeper understanding of cultural differences. “When you do something a certain way your entire life, you believe that’s the right way to do it. But when you go to another country and are immersed in a different culture, you learn that they do those things differently. I think being aware of those differences and how much your surroundings influence what you do is important.”
As Christy reflected on her time abroad there is one piece of advice she wanted future study abroad students to know. “Whatever concerns you may have [about studying abroad], don’t let them hold you back. You’ll probably never have another chance to spend time abroad like this.” She firmly recommended that everyone consider studying abroad. “The university puts together great programs to make the most of our time abroad. Students should definitely take advantage of that opportunity!”