Hello everybody! My name is Kirsten Clark, and I am one of USC’s Global Correspondents for this upcoming semester. I am currently sitting on my flight to Amsterdam, which begins the four-month adventure of living in Sorrento, Italy studying at Sant’Anna Institute! I am so fortunate to have this opportunity and feel even luckier to share it with others through this platform. I am originally from the Virginia Beach area but have lived in The Outer Banks for the past two summers! If you couldn’t tell by now, I love to be on the go, so I’ve known studying abroad in college was something to seriously consider. That being said, I am entering my second semester of junior year as a Visual Communications Major in The Journalism and Mass Communications School. If you know me, you know how obsessed I am with my major and I could go on and on about my love for the J school.
This past year, I also served as a University 101 Peer Leader, which greatly enhanced my experience at USC, and I hope to continue that role into my senior year. The University 101 Program at USC is nationally ranked as the best first-year seminar. Over the fall semester, I co-taught a class of nineteen freshmen showing them all the ways I love USC and how to get the most out of their time here… because it goes REALLY fast! They really are your biggest cheerleaders and want the best for you. I had no idea I could make that large of an impact on students in such a short time.
Not only am I exposed to the digital world every day because of my major…photography, videography, and blogging are all things I have found a large passion for in the last five years. Growing up with my mom as a professional photographer, I was introduced to lifestyle early on and fell in love with the flexibility and interpersonal connections the career offered. I knew from a very young age I desired a lifestyle that offered the freedom to work wherever, whenever. Now more than ever is the time for people like me to immerse in the opportunities social media is handing to us. The chances of blooming in the digital marketing niche are higher now more than ever especially when you find joy in the things that will make you succeed, such as photography and blogging. I am overzealous about the opportunity to not only study abroad but to also share my experiences with others in hopes of inspiring someone else to embark on the same adventure.
Not being back in Columbia for the spring will be strange, but I am so overjoyed for the adventure ahead. I chose to study abroad through the Global Partner option with USC. This means the program is not directly affiliated with USC, however, I still am enrolled as a student. In my opinion, this option was the easiest to navigate financially since all tuition, housing, and insurance were paid to a third party, in this case, SAI. SAI is a popular option for most people I know studying abroad, which I believe is due to the multitude of diverse options for host countries. Sorrento, Italy is not a popular place to study overseas, so I was driven toward this program type when I saw it was available.
The program fees for my specific program included housing, tuition, textbooks, and health insurance which was very transparent from the start. SAI has a representative assigned to you once you enroll, and they are excellent about updating and reminding students of things to do before departure. SAI also takes care of housing and roommates, which is a huge relief when thinking of moving to a foreign country by yourself. You can either live in an apartment with other SAI students, a host family, or university-provided housing. I am delighted with my experience with SAI so far and would recommend this program to anyone interested in studying abroad.
While I must remember my main purpose of this adventure is education, I am so excited to have the accessibility to travel around Europe during this time. I already have a mental bucket list of places I want to go and things I want to see while I am here. Throughout the semester I will be uploading blog posts to this platform regarding my travels and experiences living in Sorrento, Italy from now until May!
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