Salve (greetings), Mrs. Hagen's class! My name is Sofia Castillo-Trujillo, and just like you, I went to school in Hawthorne. My family has lived there for five generations, so my hometown is super special to me.
I graduated in 2022 and now go to the University of Nevada, Reno, where I study journalism and communications. My dream job is to be a public relations specialist. College has been amazing, but as my senior year was approaching, I wanted something bigger. I had never left the United States and wanted to learn about new cultures, open new doors for myself, and see the world outside my small hometown. So, I applied to the Universities Study Abroad Consortium (USAC) program and was accepted.
Now, I get to live in Verona, Italy for the next eight months! Here, I walk past castles and cobblestone streets on my way to school. I study at the Istituto Universitario Salesiano di Venezia (Salesian University Institute of Venice). I’m learning marketing and practicing Italian every day. I am so excited to share my adventures with you! Arrivederci (goodbye), talk soon!
Want to know more about how you can study or intern abroad when you are a college student? The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Learn more about the scholarship by clicking here!
