AIFS Abroad: Intern Abroad in Italy

I loved living in Florence. My roommates were amazing and Global Experiences made the adjustment perfect. Anna our location coordinator was supportive and always there when we needed her. She made everything seamless and i’m going to miss her a lot. The activities planned by GE were so much fun and I wish we could’ve done more! My internship was a perfect match, I learned so much and it was very valuable experience for my future! I had never lived outside the US before and I would 100% come back to Florence because there’s so much to do and see yet the city is walkable.

Besides opting to live on my own, I would say the experience was entirely unique because I was working in an environment where the people only spoke Italian, and I was handling tasks that were unfamiliar to me, so I had to learn quite quickly and adjust to being the odd one out. That was a very challenging thing for me, even through the end, but overall, I came here to do this; I came here to break out of my shell and do something new, to see where this takes me in life. My internship experience will build my résumé and open up job opportunities for me in the future. The only regret I have is staying in some nights or weekends when I could have gone out more, but I also wish that the program had planned more city visits for us and had given us a longer Italian course so that we could have become more fluent in the language during our stay. In the end, I would do this all over again, but very differently: I would have opted to stay with roommates, I would have chosen a different work environment, and I would have traveled more.

Being able to intern at an international company was the most incredible experience! I know that this opportunity is something that I will benefit from years to come! I always felt very supported by my location coordinator here & she planned the most incredible events for us! We took a few day trips to other cities in Italy and had so much fun! This program offers you the sense of solo travelling to a new country, while still being supported and having access to someone in case you need anything! Truly amazing experience!

The time I have spent as an intern in Florence, IT has been some of the greatest experiences I have had. My work placement was a perfect fit, along with the wonderful people that I had the pleasure of working with. A standout of this experience was our fantastic location coordinator, Anna. Anna went above and beyond to make us feel safe at all times, and provide us comfort and support when necessary. I will forever be grateful of everything Anna has done for me, and everything she has taught me.

This was a once in a lifetime experience that I would recommend to everyone.I was thankful that I had Anna to guide me through the whole trip. Florence was a beautiful city and working there helped me get used to the culture and also provided me with a lot culinary knowledge. This has made getting a job a lot easier as well. I would definitely recommend this to anyone trying to travel and experience more of life and Italy. When I have to chance I’m definitely booking another internship through GE

I've also pasted my review for the semester classes program below as I've studied abroad in Rome with AIFS twice, once for the classes program and once for the internship.
When I returned with AIFS I wasn't sure if my second time could live up to the first, but it did! I was placed in an internship in an Embassy in Rome and attended meetings at the UN and met ambassadors! The Richmond staff helped me feel up to date with the other students despite me only taking 2 classes (due to the 6 credit internship) while the other students took more. This was a very enriching way to spend a semester abroad and I truly wish I could do it a third time.
Original review: I understand that study abroad being life changing is a cliche and I used to roll my eyes at it too! But then I did it, twice, both times through AIFS in Rome and I can truly say my life is changed. I went from a shy introvert who longed to go home after being home sick for 2 days, to suddenly someone with many friends and a new zest for life and desire to explore. The classes were scheduled to fit well with allowing for cultural out of classroom learning and the on site staff made you comfortable and were so welcoming. My experience was so incredible the first time, that immediately upon getting back to my home university, I worked hard with my academic counselor to make going back a possibility. I then returned to do an internship and grew even more. I cannot recommend this program enough!

I just recently got back from a 3 month long internship in Milan. My internship was in fashion business. I had an amazing time and was very satisfied with my experience with GE. I worked in a showroom and got to work with buying, social media, and learn more about the fashion industry. I was there during fashion week and I was even lucky enough to get to experience shows and events during fashion week.
I got a lot of work experience at my internship and useful thing to take forward with me. The placement fit well for me and I enjoyed where I worked. I lived relatively near my work and the commute was easy. GE location coordinators always checked up on us and was very helpful throughout the time there. I really enjoyed my internship and time in Milan.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to experience a new culture and city. I interned in Florence, Italy as a tour guide for the Florence Duomo and had the opportunity to learn so much about art history and the Italian Renaissance through my job. I also met people from all over the world every day, which was so fun and rewarding. Global Experiences does a great job with career coaching and preparing you to work in a new culture and environment. GE also provides social activities that help you get to know the city and your fellow interns a lot better. I actually left Florence with three lifelong friends, which for me was probably the most amazing part of the program! Thanks to GE, I was able to both work in a field that I love and explore a new city and culture that I will forever cherish.