Hi everyone! My name is Kennedy Baker, and I am a third-year Political science student with a minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State and a minor in Law, Ethics, and Philosophy on the Pre-law track. This past summer, I had an opportunity to participate in the SPIA a Firenze study abroad program in Florence, Italy. If you want to study abroad in the summer, have time for summer internships, take political science and international affairs courses, and make amazing connections within SPIA, then the SPIA a Firenze program can be the perfect study abroad for you!
During this program, I had an opportunity to visit Rome, Venice, Pompei, Naples, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. While traveling to other cities with my classmates and professors, I had an opportunity to meet new SPIA students and SPIA professors and create a strong support system while we were abroad and when we returned to Athens this August.
While studying abroad, I participated in a political science course called Women in Politics and an international affairs course named Food Security. In these courses, we had a unique opportunity to participate in lectures at the American University in Rome and discuss ongoing political and international affairs topics with professors from the American University in Rome and SPIA professors. These academic opportunities helped me gain a diverse perspective on Politics and International affairs.
Additionally, this program took place during Maymester. Maymester programs start at the beginning of May and end towards the
beginning of June. Participating in a Maymester study abroad program was great for my schedule as I could study abroad and still have time to participate in my internship as a litigation intern at a law firm this summer. Studying abroad also helped me during my internship, as the program taught me how to quickly adapt to different learning and professional environments.
If you are unsure about studying abroad, reach out to the study abroad advisors, professors who taught the study abroad courses, and students who participated in the program. Having the opportunity to speak to the study abroad advisors helped me navigate the scholarship application process for studying abroad. While speaking to the professors gave me insight into the academic requirements abroad. Speaking to my mentor and learning about her experience in the SPIA a Firenze program gave me the confidence to apply to the program and encourage other SPIA students to participate in the SPIA a Firenze program.
