Italy: Anya Mullen

June 3, 2026

Program: UW Sustainable Food Systems in Italy, Summer

Major: Health Promotion and Health Equity

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

My most memorable experience from this program was being able to attend two days of UN Nutrition Week at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. It was extremely interesting to hear from global experts in all aspects of nutrition, including food systems, policies, and solutions. I was able to gain valuable insights that I hope to apply to my future work in public health-related fields.

Anya posing next to colorful block letters that spell FAO along a railing overlooking Rome. — This is a photo of me at the FAO headquarters in Rome. We were very lucky to be able to visit 3 times, and I had the amazing opportunity to talk with the Right to Food Council and hear from experts at the UN Nutrition Week conference.

How will your experience benefit you in the future? How might it affect your future career or studies?

This experience will benefit me in the future as it has allowed me to become more comfortable and willing to get out of my comfort zone and try new experiences. I feel like this is something that will help me a lot in my future endeavors, whether that be school, work, or other life events as it will provide me the opportunity to take in new perspectives. Regarding my future career, this program reiterated my interest in nutrition and food insecurity as an area in public health I would like to go into, and broadened the scope of ways that I could do that, including working for smaller organizations or international groups like the FAO.

Anya standing on a busy sidewalk in front of the Colosseum, lit up at night. — Standing in front of the Colosseum on one of our first nights in Rome. It was so surreal to be able to see these famous sites in person for the first time.

It was extremely interesting to be able to hear from global experts in all aspects of nutrition, including food systems, policies, and solutions, and I was able to gain valuable insights that I hope to apply to my future work in public health related fields.

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?

When preparing to go abroad, one of the biggest challenges I faced was my anxiety about traveling overseas on my own. My family never really traveled much, and this program was my first time traveling by myself, so I was very nervous about navigating this. In order to work through these challenges, I made sure to talk with others who had traveled internationally before in order to make sure that I was prepared. I also brought items with me that would make me feel at home and less anxious while away from home. These strategies allowed me to have a successful traveling experience and gain more confidence in my abilities.

Students cutting vegetables and preparing food around a metal table in a professional kitchen. — During this program we had the opportunity to participate in numerous cooking classes. I had such a fantastic time learning how to prepare and make traditional Italian dishes that I hope to replicate back at home!

What is a custom, food or tradition from your host country that you are taking forward?

A custom from my host country that I will be taking forward is the emphasis that Italian culture puts on making meals a time not just for eating, but for social connections. Before this program, I would usually eat meals very quickly by myself, but in Italy I had the opportunity to actually sit down and eat my meals with others. This not only allowed me to engage in more conversation with others on the program, but to also eat more mindfully and really be present while eating my meals.