Jeb

Fall 2017: ECU Tuscany

Hello. My name is Jeb, I am from Greensboro, NC, and I am in my fourth year at ECU majoring in Risk Management and Insurance. I had never left the country before until I went abroad in the fall of my second year here. Once I went abroad, I fell in love with the culture, the adventure, and the beautiful sites there are out there all over the world.

Where Did You Study Abroad?
I Studied abroad in Certaldo-Alto Italy. This is a small town in Tuscany that has a population of 150 people, and the town below it Certaldo-Basso has 12,000 people. Certaldo is an authentic small Tuscan town that isn’t swarming with tourists. I had no knowledge of the language before I got there, but once I was there and walking around town it was much easier to pick up the language.

What is Your Favorite Memory from Your Time Abroad?
My favorite memory would be the trip we took to Rome. We were only there for a couple days but there were just too many things to see there I couldn’t see everything. The first day we were there we broke off into small groups to explore the town. I saw so many different ancient buildings, monuments, statues it was amazing to see them in person. We explored all day and we met back up with the class and everyone was tired and sitting down from walking all day. I was having the best time I didn’t even feel tied and me and someone else from our class went out again to explore the town even more. I was only there for a short time but I had an amazing time while I was there.

How Has Studying Abroad Helped Your Personal and Professional Life?
Studying abroad was the first time I had ever left the country and ever since then I have wanted to do more international travel. It is a personal passion of mine that now I am trying to make a professional passion too. I love traveling internationally so I am looking for jobs at insurance companies that have multinational lines of insurance.

What Advice Can You Offer to Students Interested in Studying Abroad?
Don’t be afraid to study abroad, for me studying abroad in Italy was the first time I had ever left the country. When your preparing to go or you’re considering going it can scary to think about and get you nervous about going making you second guess it. Once you get there you become immersed in their culture and all those nerves wash away, while your having the best time of your life. It was the best decision I made in college.

Do You Have Any Plans or Ideas to Travel Abroad Again?
At the present moment I don’t have plans to travel soon, however I would love to have a job that would allow me to travel. I would love to travel domestically and internationally.
E-mail Jeb at crissmanj16@students.ecu.edu for more information about his experience!