This summer, ten of our students at the University of Missouri traveled to Italy for a variety of internships. These scholars explored programs in a large range of disciplines, such as public affairs, language, textile marketing, and astrophysics. Read more below about each student's unique experience in Italy, and how the programs impacted their learning and lives.
Alexis with Astrophysics Institute telescope on Mount Etna
Alexis, Chemistry and Physics majors
104-hour internship at the Astrophysics Institute, University of Catania:
“This internship keeps me believing I can be an observational astronomer. My career goals are working on Exoplanet research as I work on the Ariel Project (with University of Catania)...My aspirations have stayed the same, but strengthened with hope. I believe I can actually do it...This internship has showed me that there are places in the world with small science groups in need of support, (and) that not every field in astronomy is saturated.”
Learn more About Alexis' story
Tony (right) at Kleoverse solar panel engineering firm
Tony, Mechanical Engineering major, Italian minor
85-hour internship at Cateno Miano, patent holder for double-motor scooter, and at Kleoverse, solar panel and sustainable energy company:
"...I wanted...to learn more about engineering, which is something that I improved on a lot during both of my internships. At the Cateno Miano Twins, I observed bike repairs, which included oil changes, tire replacements, timing belt replacements, fender replacements, and engine replacements. At Kleoverse, I learned how to design using an engineering program called SolidWorks, where I designed a membrane expansion tank for an air conditioning unit. Both of these internships helped give me a better understanding of the engineering field by allowing me to be in the field and use tools as well to better my understanding of the engineering field."
Nico (left) teaching English at ISS Pugliatti High School
Nico, History major, Italian minor,
65-hour teaching internship at technical high school, IISS Pugliatti:
“My first goal for the internship was to improve my Italian and to speak continuously in it...In every class, I spoke Italian regularly with teachers and students.... My second goal was to understand how the schooling system in Italy works. One part is the finals that (the students) go through, which seems much harder...it is a nationwide test. Their English prep examinations were interesting to see because of how they teach and examine English...in class they did many oral examinations and used English in a more vocational way...Grazia also explained how she became a teacher in Italy, which seems more competitive and nationalized than in the United States.”
Mia in Quantico Vineyard, Mount Etna
Mia, International Studies major, Italian minor, Multicultural Certificate
65-hour internship at Quantico Vineyards, an organic, family-run vineyard on Mount Etna:
“...I formed a close relationship with my host family, and I plan to use our relationship to better my future by staying in contact and practicing Italian with them. I also want to capitalize on my internship experience by showing future possible jobs the independence that I was forced to have, the motivation that I needed to get the work done, and the uniqueness of choosing an internship that allowed me to learn the most culture...This internship was important to me...Since I am an international studies major, culture is a big necessity for me and my future.”
Clayton at Feliciotto luxury brand store
Clayton, Textile & Apparel Management major
65-hour internship with Feliciotto, luxury retail brand:
“...I wanted to specifically work on improving my communication and professionalism skills in my time spent in Italy....However, because of the cultural differences and language barrier this was quite a struggle at first. Yet, I can confidently say that these have improved quite a bit since I first arrived in Sicily. Although I am nowhere close to my linguistic accomplishments for Italian, I grew in confidence and learned quickly....Furthermore, I was able to learn a lot about how Feliciotto operates in a professional setting domestically and internationally. Inventory management, buying, merchandising, and sales, were all things I gained a strong knowledge of during my time at Feliciotto. I was also given full responsibility in the position I was in as an intern. I independently was able to work as a part of the team and was seen as an equal during my work. In the future I will take my experience from working at Feliciotto and use it as a stepping stone into fashion retail.”
Jackson interning at Taormina International Film Festival
Jackson, Business Administration and International Studies majors, Italian and Anthropology minors
Internships at Taormina International Film Festival and European Union Project:
“My goals were to: one, focus on networking and developing my own opportunities. I have ABSOLUTELY done this more than anything. I walked around that film festival asking "posso aiutare?/can I help?" so many times and that absolutely opened up the gate to more opportunities than I ever could have imagined... Become a more casual and appealing communicator. What I have learned here (is) the importance of talking professionally without losing authenticity. I think that one of my biggest strengths is being real with people, and I can do that professionally without sounding like a LinkedIn post. Whenever I helped HBO executives, I told them anything they needed to know as straight up as possible, and apparently the entire next day they were talking about useful things or fun facts I said and how helpful it was..I will never look at business, international business, or genuinely any social exchange the same way again. The way that this (experience) helped me develop was something that no other trip could have done.”
Kylie (sixth from left) with judges at Taormina International Film Festival
Kylie, Communications major
65-hour internships at Taormina International Film Festival and TaoBuk Festival.
“Looking back at the goals I set before starting my internship, I can definitely say I achieved a lot more than I expected. One of my main goals was to gain professional experience in an international environment and push myself outside of my comfort zone. Working as an assistant to the judges at the Taormina Film Festival gave me the chance to do both. It was such a unique experience because I got to see what happens behind the scenes at a major international film festival while working closely with people from different countries and backgrounds...I helped the judges with their schedules, made sure they had everything they needed, and assisted with different tasks to keep everything running smoothly. Every day looked a little different, so I had to learn how to be flexible, stay organized, and adapt when plans changed. I also learned how important communication is, especially when you’re working with a team and people who don’t all speak the same language. There were definitely moments where I had to think on my feet, but those ended up being some of the best learning experiences.”
Grace (right) with clown therapists at children’s hospital in Catania
Grace, Psychology and Criminal Justice Studies majors, Italian minor
65-hour internship with child clinical psychologist, in clown therapy in children’s hospital, and at minor-age immigrant welcoming center:
“I feel that I challenged myself significantly during this internship. I’m initially a shy person...for most of my internships I had to push myself to bring out the extrovert in me...In clown therapy, we were supposed to insert ourselves being silly to make the children in the hospital laugh...Working for Dr.Letizia (the clinical psychologist), I had to make the children feel safe doing a session with a stranger in the room. I talked to them, interacted in their games, and gave them fist bumps/ high-fives. I put my nerves aside to ensure the kids were at ease. Challenging myself,...I was able to work on my goal of making mistakes. My Italian isn’t perfect, but I was able to try despite knowing I’m mispronouncing or saying things grammatically wrong to then learn and grow from that to improve my Italian thus improving my communication with the patients and Dr. Letizia as well.”
Will (left) with former Prime Ministers of Italy and France at the TaoBuk Festival
Will, Political Science major, History minor
65-hour internships at Taormina International Film Festival and TaoBuk Festival:
“My internships at the 72nd Taormina Film Festival and TaoBuk were both very interesting experiences that were also very different from each other. At the film festival, I mostly worked in jobs relating to press and public affairs. I would assist journalists, handout press releases, as well as answer any questions from the public...My second internship at the TaoBuk festival was an incredible experience that taught me so much about the world of foreign affairs. For my role, I was assigned to help manage the schedules and facilitate interactions with the foreign guests, many of whom were high-level politicians and authors. The guests on my schedule included former prime minister of France, Manuel Vals, as well as Nobel prize winner, Abdulazark Gurnah. I also got to meet with former prime minister of Italy, Paolo Gentiloni and his foreign minister while he was in office. Being able to interact with these high-profile professionals has helped my confidence immensely...My experience also helped to improve my language skills in both Italian and French—foreign language skills are so important for any career in the foreign service. By the end of my time at TaoBuk, I was offered a position at next year’s festival, one that would likely be paid and take on more responsibility. Overall, I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to not just study in Italy but also to be able to meet and work with such incredible people.”
Hunter (second from left) and Jackson (third from left) at European Union project site
Hunter, Journalism major, Italian and Law minors
228-hour internship(s) with European Union Project, with Taormina International Film Festival, and rewriting social media for Babilonia Italian Language School:
“My number one goal in my Sicilian internship was to develop functional Italian language skills to secure a sustainable job or school opportunity in Italy. I have achieved my goal and am confident I can take a professional or educational opportunity in Italy. My Italian is not perfect, but it's improved and functional. I spent late nights working at the (Taormina International) film festival with team members who only spoke Italian, which forced me to communicate in my second language. I learned I can speak Italian in professional settings, which means I can add my foreign language skills as a marketable trait for future professional opportunities. Beyond my language skills, I focused on the NACE competencies for career readiness, such as establishing, maintaining, and/or leveraging relationships with people who can help me professionally and seeking and embracing development opportunities.... [For Example], I served lunch to the cast of House of the Dragon, accidentally asked Holly Hunter if she was a journalist and if she needed a program, and served wine to Sam Nivola from White Lotus while advocating on his behalf in Italian to ensure his interview was timely and professional...I'm proud to say that I've fulfilled 228.5 hours of professional foreign internship experience in 5 weeks. I found my craft connected it to various needs and fulfilled them while navigating language barriers, cultural differences, and intense schedules with little sleep. And I am proud to say I still found time for myself - making lifelong friendships with my fellow Mizzou students, friends across Sicily, professors at Babilonia, and somehow two great friends from KU (University of Kansas).”
Learn more about Hunter's story
Homepage image by Dariolp83 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122726831
