First Weeks in Rome: Learning in many forms

The Colosseum at night

I’m so excited to be writing my first blog post! It seems like ages ago when I was reading these same posts from the interns from last year as I was preparing to head to Rome and start my new adventure. I read the same posts over and over to get any hint I could as to what sorts of things I would experience at my internship and beyond.

Me in the CAS corridor

Needless to say, before I left I was nervous. Not only about starting my new (and first) internship, but also living in a foreign country by myself. Although I’ve taken Italian since high school, I was still unsure if my language skills would be up to par, especially in an office setting. Now three weeks in, it was definitely tough getting used to all of these aspects, but I’ve been so thankful to have these experiences that have pushed me outside my comfort zone in many different ways.

Working at The Center for American Studies has given me a glimpse into Italian-American relations and how Italians view their role in the EU and the world. The Center hosts many events on geo-politics, transatlantic relations, and even arts and culture. The other interns and I have been focusing mainly on two main events in the fall: one on US relations with Russia and another celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Marshall Plan. We’ve worked on everything from brainstorming speakers to creating themed panels to sending out invitations for these events which has taught me how to bring in different perspectives to an issue whether it be politically, culturally, or academically.

Roman charm

Last week, we had the opportunity to present our work on these events thus far to a few of the cultural ministers at the US embassy in Rome. It was great to see how closely the Center works with American diplomats and also tries to work in American perspectives into all of the events. They gave us some great feedback on the Russian Forum and Marshall Plan events, and it was great to make some contacts at the embassy!

Overall though, I feel that I’ve learned the most from the city itself; even just walking down the street makes my mind wander as I ponder how people have lived in this city for over two thousand years. I’ve loved going to museums and art galleries in Rome and seeing up close what the city used to look like, how people governed, and what their culture was like at different time periods.

I hope that in my remaining weeks in Rome I will continue to make an impact at CAS while still discovering new things in the eternal city.


Written by Grace Anderson’19, FSI Global Policy Intern at the Center for American Studies in Rome, Italy.

FSI Internships

We provide placement, mentorship and a stipend to students engaging in off-campus internships at international policy and international affairs organizations. For 2018 and on please visit: https://medium.com/freeman-spogli-institute-for-international-studies/fsi-students/home

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FSI Student Programs

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The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford offers engaging, policy-focused Stanford student opportunities.

FSI Internships

We provide placement, mentorship and a stipend to students engaging in off-campus internships at international policy and international affairs organizations. For 2018 and on please visit: https://medium.com/freeman-spogli-institute-for-international-studies/fsi-students/home

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