Kaitlyn

ECU Italy Intensives, Summer 2017

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Kaitlyn West, I am from Durham, NC and am a junior here at ECU. I am a Communications major with a concentration in public relations. I love to travel and was fortune enough to visit four countries this past summer in Europe. Outside of my time aboard I really enjoy reading, painting, and being outdoors.

Where did you study abroad?

I was a part of the Italy Intensives summer program and got to study all throughout Italy. I took nine credit hours at the ECU campus in Certaldo, Italy. We stayed in apartments on campus which was really enjoyable as I got to bond with other students on my program.

What is your favorite memory from your time abroad?

It’s hard to narrow down one thing as my favorite memory so I would say I really enjoyed traveling to all these places like Florence, Venice, Amalfi Coast and Naples as I learned about them throughout my life and was finally able to experience it firsthand.

How has studying abroad helped your personal or professional life?

Studying abroad has greatly affected my personal life as I made some really genuine friendships and grew greatly in my feeling of independence and confidence. Professionally, studying abroad has been great as a networking tool since a lot of my professors and peers like to ask me about my time abroad.

What advice can you offer to students interested in studying abroad?

I would advise to start planning sooner rather than later. Joining a program takes some planning and the earlier you start the more you can utilize resources ECU offers and scholarship opportunities. Studying abroad is by far one of the best experiences I’ve had so don’t miss out!

Do you have any future plans or ideas to travel abroad again?

I am currently looking into possibly spending a semester abroad in the United Kingdom!

Contact Kaitlyn for more information about her experience at westk15@students.ecu.edu.