Italy: Aleeya Sengdao
Program: Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA) in Italy, Spring
Aleeya’s Major: Human Development & Family Studies, Sociology
What is the moment you are most proud of?
A moment that I am most proud of is being able to study abroad and what I accomplished. Growing up first-generation and low-income. I would have never thought that with my background and upbringing, something like going to college, let alone studying abroad would be possible. So I am proud that I had the opportunity to study abroad. I learned new things about myself, others, and different cultures while studying abroad. This experience has opened my eyes to something that goes beyond the classroom and I feel like I would have not learned inside a classroom if I did not take this first and scary step of studying abroad. I was able to create new experiences for myself and learn how to be more independent. This allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and navigate daily life in a foreign country, often without the familiar support systems I had back home. This independence helped me develop valuable life skills, such as managing finances, organizing my schedule, handling administrative tasks, and problem-solving
What challenges or barriers did you face as you prepared to go abroad and/or during your time abroad? How did you work through them?
With all my identities of being a first-generation college student and a BIPOC woman, my first impressions and integration into the Italian culture and country were not the easiest transition. As one of the few students of color in my program and Florence, lots of the locals did not know I was an American student studying abroad. A lot of the greetings I have gotten were sometimes everything but “Ciao” or “Hello.” I have always been in predominantly white spaces, but I feel as though I was not prepared for Italy in that sense. A lot of assumptions were made about where I came from and it has made me appreciate and reflect on my own Lao and Thai culture more and allowed me to find appreciation for other cultures as well. Before thinking about or even starting my study abroad experience, I found myself romanticizing the idea of my study abroad experience but also failed to think about the harsh realities of studying abroad as a BIPOC student and what I may face. While there were few students of color in my program, I was able to connect with them and had that sense of community. I was able to make friends with other students of color, but I also had a lot of alone time. Being alone sometimes allowed me to develop a better understanding of who I am and helped me relearn some of my interests and hobbies. Before studying abroad this spring semester, in the fall, I was working many part-time jobs, in school full-time, and was still trying to make time for my friends and family. I was always on the go, busy, and rarely made time for taking care of myself. While being abroad, I only had to focus on academics which allowed me to adapt and appreciate the relaxed pace of the European lifestyle easily. I was able to enjoy spending time with others, make time for self-care, and made focusing on school a lot easier. This experience has taught me to live more in the moment and appreciate myself and other people in my life. Once I arrived back home, I was able to debrief and speak with many support systems.
Exploring Florence and nearby cities in Italy allowed me to have an open mind, fostering a sense of curiosity that will extend beyond my study abroad period and hopefully in my future studies and career.
How will your experience benefit you in the future? How might it affect your future career or studies?
I wanted to go to Florence, Italy to rediscover my love for art and also learn how I could integrate my love for art with my future career and studies. While being abroad I found that it has enhanced my career perspective. I learned about their education system and how it differs from the United States. Because of the global perspective and expanded network, I was able to lean into my interest in working in education, wanting to make a difference. While I found a way to have more creative perspectives on work and life, I also got a different perspective on what I wanted to do with my future career. I learned different skills through my abroad experience like cross-cultural communication, adaptability, independence, and global awareness.