Why Interning Abroad is a Great Opportunity With Sophia Lucear

Have you ever wondered what it is like to fully immerse yourself in the culture of another country? Sophia Lucear, class of ‘23, challenged herself in Spring ‘22 by studying abroad in Milan, Italy. Not only did Sophia travel the world while studying abroad, taking courses, and meeting new people, but she also successfully completed an internship for credit. Sophia shared with me the valuable insights she gained while working internationally.  

Sophia was a marketing intern for an affordable luxury jewelry company called LIL Milan while she was abroad. With Milan being known for its extraordinary fashion scene, this was an amazing opportunity for Sophia.

Sophia secured this internship with help from Bentley’s internship coordinators and the program, IES, which gave her a 4-credit internship option. She communicated with her coordinator that she wanted to do marketing and communications along with something relating to fashion. As a result, the coordinator reached out to her network, and Sophia interviewed with LIL Milan and then was offered the marketing intern position.

I asked Sophia how she would describe her internship abroad. Here is what she had to say:

It was very eye-opening. My past internship experiences in the States were fast-paced as that is the norm in corporate America. However, working for an Italian company was different. Italian work environments are laid back as passion is at the forefront of what people do. This opened my eyes to a whole new path of working internationally. It made me realize that one day I might want to go back and work in Europe.

Another aspect of interning abroad that was different than in the States, was Sophia felt that she had more responsibility. She explained to me that in Italian workplaces, no news is good news, as she had to figure out what her employer wanted without much guidance. However, Sophia realized this meant that her employers had trust in her to produce quality work. For instance, when she made promotional materials, her employers would only look them over once and then send them to print. This experience allowed her to showcase all her capabilities.

Next, I asked Sophia about the language barrier and how she was able to manage it. Here is what she had to say:

The language barrier is going to be there more than you think it is. However, it is manageable and you don’t have to be fluent to communicate with others. You do need to have good body language and a good attitude. Even if you are not fluent, you can still show that you’re engaged through effective body language and show that you want to learn. If you do this, your employer will communicate with you the same as they would with someone fluent.   

Along with the challenge of a language gap, Sophia also had to learn to adapt. She had to adapt to an entirely new work environment and an entirely new culture. Looking at her experience as a whole, Sophia had to step outside of her comfort zone every day. She had to learn the cultural norms of Italy which were challenging. She would get caught off guard as anyone would by things that are normal in the States, but not in Italy. She was forced to step out of her comfort zone and adapt.

I also asked Sophia what her biggest takeaway was from studying abroad. She said it is to not sweat the small stuff. Here is how she put it:

When living in a foreign country you are going to have things go wrong. However, enjoy the fact that you are traveling and getting the opportunity to experience a different culture. I quickly realized that Italian culture is based on this idea of “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Everyone works at their own pace and enjoys life first and then finds work that they are passionate about. If you are thinking about studying abroad, do it. You never are going to be this young again and you will make the money back.

Overall, Sophia took advantage of her time abroad by interning. She was able to travel the world while also getting to work in an international setting. Through her internship, she was able to see the launch of a new jewelry line at LIL Milan and got to attend the launch event. She improved her marketing and communication skills. Sophia was successful in her time abroad and her story exemplifies the great opportunities that come with studying abroad.

By Madelyn Weiss
Madelyn Weiss Creative Blog Curator