My STEP Signature Project is classified under the Education Abroad category. For my project I completed a semester abroad studying business and economics courses at the prestigious Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi located in the heart of Milan, Italy. The semester abroad was facilitated through an exchange program located within the Fisher College of Business in which a select few students from Fisher are exchanged with Italian students at the aforementioned university. While the majority of the time spent abroad was up to my discretion, as this is what drew me to this particular education abroad program, the main activities required from this project were orientation activities before the semester, successful completion of a semester at this university, and finally re-entry activities after the semester was completed.

Prior to embarking on my education abroad last fall I was incredibly nervous for what the semester would hold. I had never travelled without my parents, I did not speak the language of the host country I was travelling to, and I did not know a single person that would be attending this program with me-with the exception of the one other Ohio State Student I had met once before that previous spring during the exchange orientation activities. Although I would say that I experienced changes in the way that I saw others and the world around me-the most monumental change is the one I saw in myself. Any change I had in the way I viewed the external elements of this trip all stemmed from the internal changes that took place. Through acclimating to a new school, a new city and country, new people, and a new culture I was able to challenge myself on a daily basis.

The biggest change I saw in myself was my confidence and propensity for risk-taking. I have never before been surrounded by so much unfamiliarity. I am from Cleveland, Ohio, so moving to Ohio State my freshmen year was hardly difficult. From the moment you are accepted into Ohio State you are inundated with emails laying out in explicit detail anything that is required from you to have a successful transition. This was not the case when I arrived in Milan. In order to be successful, I had to rely on my own preparedness, independence, and gut instincts. While I had always considered myself to be self-sufficient, I had never had to perform at this degree before. In order for this semester abroad to be as successful as I wanted it to be, I needed to let go of any premonitions I had about this experience and dive in head first. For me this meant saying yes to almost everything I could. From trying restaurants where the owners spoke no English, to taking the lead in school projects with groups that were comprised entirely of Italian students, to traveling throughout Italy and the rest of Europe with no plan other than a place to sleep I found that my ability to problem-solve, mitigate stressful situations, and navigate ambiguity was much greater than I gave myself credit for. By actively putting myself in situations that required me to elevate these skills, I was transformed into a person more confident and willing to embrace the world around her.

The activity during my STEP Signature Project that was one of the biggest catalysts for this change, although fairly obvious, but nevertheless important, was attending university in Italy. Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi is a world-renowned business and economics school. In the Business and Management discipline, which is the category of the majority of classes I took, Bocconi is ranked 4th in Europe and 8th worldwide. Unlike many study abroad programs in which the focus is on the student’s cultural experience, the Fisher Exchange Program focuses on placing its students in universities in which the coursework is just as
rigorous, if not more so, than what is offered at Ohio State. Europeans have a different outlook on higher education than most Americans, and it took some time for me to become accustomed to this. It is much more difficult for Europeans to attain higher education as there is a more developed system that funnels students into trade schools. Therefore, it is considered a great privilege to be able to attend university, and a certain level of maturity is expected from students who attend. There are very few assignments, attendance is usually not mandatory, and classes usually only meet once or twice a week. While on the surface this seems much easier than the requirements of classes in the U.S., there is a much heavier emphasis placed on the student accountability. Despite less busy work and class meeting time, students must keep up with the work on their own. Students are expected to come prepared to class after having completed any and all necessary readings, while class time is almost strictly devoted to discussion of the important topics and questions utilizing the professor’s expertise. This dramatic change in approach to education transformed me into a much more responsible and participative student. As much of the learning was done on our own, I had to develop the confidence to ask questions in large lecture classes, utilize office hours like I never had before, and manage my classwork in the large amounts of free time I had. I believe that this experience definitely matured me as a student and prepared me to come back and finish my last semesters as OSU stronger than before.

The relationships I made with other students during my education abroad also played significant role in the internal transformation I experienced. There are over 1,000 exchange students enrolled at Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi. Unlike many other exchange programs that I researched before setting on this one, this exchange program hosted students from all around the world-not just the United States. My first encounter with students from outside of the U.S. occurred when I moved into my international dorm my first day of arrival.On my floor alone were students from Australia, China, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and many other countries. We shared a community kitchen, and throughout the semester I would have small conversations here and there with my various floor-mates. We immediately discussed how different our lives back home were, and how different our current life in Italy was. Despite this, we managed to find commonalities. People from cultures and lives vastly different than mine still missed their friends and family back home, they still struggled with balancing school and social life, they still disagreed with their politicians, and they still were just as excited as I to start a semester in a brand-new country. Living with the people in my dorm forced me to come out of my shell and utilize a level of confidence I had to never had to in order to make new friends. In addition, it forced me to analyze what was most important to me in my life and relate that to people who I otherwise would have had nothing in common with. Despite coming from different backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, religions etc., we all managed to find a level of humanity that allowed us to have meaningful relationships with a diverse range of people. I learned so much about what other cultures value, and therefore became more aware of what I deem most important.

Finally, one of the best and most exciting ways I managed to transform myself was through adventuring inside of the city I called home for four months. Although I had traveled to Italy to study, the most important learning took place outside of the classroom. One could write an entire paper on the differences between American and Italian culture but the one difference I couldn’t get over, and the one that vastly changed my outlook on life is that of Italian café culture. There is a cliché that exists about European culture in that it is lazy and that its people don’t put in nearly the amount of effort that Americans do. I will be the first to disagree as some of the most passionate, most intelligent people I met were from outside of the borders of the U.S. Café culture is more about taking a break from work or school, it is about connecting with those that are around you and finding time in your day to focus on your relationships and not about your job. I admired that Europeans and Italians in specific place such a high value on their relationships, and that these relationships and time to relax prioritized getting one last task for the day done. I personally found that back home in the U.S. I did not do that as much as I should. In order to excel in school, I forewent getting dinner with friends, or I ignored a call from my mom in order to do one more accounting problem. While it is important to do well in school and your job, I really appreciated this idea that taking a break is important as well. Acclimating to this pace of life and finding that I could manage both school and my social life gave me the confidence to apply this to my life back in the states. I found that balance allows you to thrive in both areas, instead of pouring all of your resources and mental health in just one.

These developments and changes in how I view myself, others, and the world directly relate to my personal and professional goals. I believe that personally I have become more of the person I have always been, it just took a dramatic shift in lifestyle for that full transformation to occur. I have always admired those who were confident in going after what they wanted in life, and I believe that I have a clearer idea on what it is that I want, as well as the confidence to make it happen. As far as my professional goals, the skills I gained while completing my education abroad were invaluable in terms of time and budget management, managing the relationships and emotions of others, accountability towards myself and my work, and leadership capabilities. A semester of navigating unfamiliarity gave me the necessary skills and confidence to enter the workforce and perform at a high level. I have experiences that greatly differentiate me from other candidates, as well as a newly globalized mindset that will help me maneuver the globalized direction the world of business is heading towards.