Italian Studies Major Jobs 2018
Italian studies
Ingrid Brandt
Major: Italian studies, French & Francophone studies
Hometown: Eugene, Oregon
Employer: SITE Program
Job title: English language teaching assistant
Job Responsibilities
I will be collaborating with Italian high school teachers in Saronno, Lombardy, Italy, to create and teach lessons in English to Italian high school students based on a variety of subjects. I also will be providing some one-on-one support to some students.
How has Dickinson prepared you for your future?
I've learned a lot about what I need to thrive:
- a close-knit community, friendly peers and superiors who are willing to invest in me while allowing me to ask questions
- access to good public transportation (which I experienced through studying abroad)
- a bigger city that allows for more independence
- and a variety of activities available to me so that I can constantly be expanding my interests and understanding of the world.
I also have come to realize how important social justice is, and seeing the clashes between students on this matter has only made me more ready to take on the world and fight all systems of oppression through all means possible.
Internship Experience
My best internship experiences have been volunteering weekly as an English teacher in Bologna and then working at French and Italian summer immersion camps in D.C.
What are you most anticipating about your career future?
I am hopeful that I will get to inspire younger generations through the field of international and language education and that I will be able to interact with awesome coworkers. I am excited about using the language skills I have gained and honed in my time at Dickinson in order to connect with people I otherwise wouldn't have been able to interact with without French and Italian. I want my work (and life) to be fun and meaningful, and I think Dickinson has taught me how to achieve that.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
My time abroad in Bologna, Italy and Toulouse, France was my favorite year of college; however, I also would have to note that the Mediterranean Migration Mosaic in Spring 2016 taught me so much about the world and about being compassionate towards others. It also taught me Italian language skills and how resilient of a student I can be in the most stressful of times. Out of all eight semesters, I am most proud of the work that came out of that semester. Other defining moments would be participating and watching student protests surround the Black Lives Matter movement, DACA and other social-justice protests.
Is there any other information you would like us to know?
I am grateful that Dickinson has such fantastic language departments. It's the main reason I chose Dickinson coming all the way from Oregon!
Madigan Kay
Major: Italian studies
Certificate: food studies
Hometown: Brunswick, Maine
Employer: Backroads
Job title: trip leader
Job Responsibilities
Backroads is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, but I will be leading bike trips around the U.S. and abroad. I will be a travel guide, bike mechanic and customer-service agent all at once for up to 26 guests per trip.
How has Dickinson prepared you for your future?
I think that becoming fluent in Italian is a major skill that Dickinson has given me, which made me a stronger candidate for my current job and will help me stand out in future endeavors. Having Dickinson encourage language credits as well as a year abroad in Bologna helped me reach this fluency.
Internship Experience
Le Serre dei Giardini Margherita in Bologna, Italy: I worked in the daycare and also landscaped and maintained the community garden
What are you most anticipating about your career future?
The opportunity to travel, use Italian (hopefully Backroads will have me lead trips in Italy) and go meet new people.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
My abroad experiences: participating in the second Mediterranean Migration Mosaic and studying for a year abroad in Bologna.
Maria Villotti
Major: Italian studies, history
Hometown: Avella, Pennsylvania
Employer: SITE Program
Job Responsibilities
English teaching assistant at Italian high school in Mantua, Italy.
How has Dickinson prepared you for your future?
Dickinson has given me networking and professional development opportunities (like my work with MOB) that have helped prepare me to work with others in my future career.
Internship Experience
I Interned and then worked at Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Avella, Pennsylvania, as a tour guide, and interned in spring 2018 in Dickinson's Archives & Special Collections.
What are you most anticipating about your future?
Returning to Italy to expand my knowledge of the country, language and culture while teaching.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
Two defining moments for me were getting elected to the MOB executive board for the first time, and joining Kappa Alpha Theta, as both have opened up personal and professional opportunities for me and made my Dickinson experience what it is.
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Published April 3, 2018