“It was so important for me to go abroad because I wanted to experience a new world. Italy’s culture emphasizes the pleasure of life, and I wanted to experience a slower lifestyle while still learning important concepts for school,” reflected Brielle Bomsta, an environmental policy and decision making major who participated in the Sant'Anna Institute Program in Sorrento, Italy this semester.
During the spring semester, Bomsta took 15 credits in Italy as well as working at a marine biology, conservation and communications internship, developing skills for her future career as well as broadening her cultural awareness.
“The experience will help me move forward in my career by widening my communication skills between all types of people with different backgrounds, communication styles and perspectives. I have also specifically developed skills that pertain to my future career through my internship,” she said.
Bomsta navigated the challenges of working and living in another country, especially around education, work and productivity, which she notes increased her proactivity and self-reliance, skills which will help her throughout her career.
“I learned how to become more proactive in seeking clarification, organizing my own workflow and managing projects with less external structure. Rather than relying on constant direction, I developed greater confidence in independent decision-making and learned to adapt to a different workplace culture and communication style. This experience also strengthened my flexibility and cultural awareness, as I came to better understand that professional norms and expectations can vary significantly across countries and organizations,” noted Bomsta, who also is the recipient of the Wolfe Study Abroad Scholarship that supports Ohio students studying abroad for the first time.
Along with the academic and workplace lessons, Bomsta shares how she grew personally during the semester, making for a complete and comprehensive experience.
“From this experience, I have learned that I am more resilient to unfamiliar environments and challenges than I thought. While the experience is amazing, there are still challenges like building independence in a new environment. Especially at the beginning the uncertainty can be daunting, but I learned that I have the capacity to make the best of my environment in any situation through cultivation of my own routines, hobbies, and interests.