Internship Profiles

Devin King
“At this internship in the orthopedic division of the Hospital of San Pietro Igneo in Fucecchio, Italy, I have had the opportunity to sit in on several orthopedic total joint replacement surgeries and collaborate on an orthopedic study on the efficacy of Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA).  This orthopedic division is considered among the most prestigious in the nation and includes top doctors such as Doctor Pierfrancesco Indelli and world renowned Professor Massimiliano Marcucci.  These doctors want to assess their success rates in THA operations and compare two brands of prosthetic implants.  Therefore, in addition to shadowing operations and being able to ask questions while the surgeons are operating, I am also helping conduct a trial which follows 100 THA patients and their recovery respective to surgery type and prosthesis brand.  This paper will be published in the November 2012 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Science.”

Keith Calix
“My name is Keith Calix and I am a junior majoring in International Relations from Queens, New York. While in Florence, I am interning with COSPE (Co-operation for the Development of Emerging Countries), an NGO that specializes in education development and human rights promotion in developing communities. Considering my interest in education development, COSPE has been an incredible experience for me thus far. I am currently working with my supervisors Maria Omodeo and Marco Marigo on drafting a grant proposal to the European Commission for a project that plans to invest in school reform for children of the minority Tsaatan community in Mongolia and increase female retention rates. This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to understand the policy aspect of development. In addition my internship includes volunteering at the Paolo Uccello intermediary school where I help teach English classes and intercultural exchange classes with children of Chinese immigrants. This aspect of my work has been very rewarding, not only because it is relevant to my coursework here in Florence, but also because it has provided me a unique opportunity to learn about relevant issues affecting members of the Florentine community.”

Anna Ponting
“I am an Urban Studies major at Stanford, minoring also in Modern Languages and Architecture, so being a tour guide at the Florence Baptistery is perfect. I get to learn about the history of the city, see and understand beautiful art, and get a backstage look at the Duomo, Baptistery, and Campanile. It's also great being the teacher and not the student--people are always so grateful to be learning the fun facts about Florence. Not only do I know the city and its history better, but I get to interact with Italians in a laid back, yet professional setting.”

Ann Manly
“I'm Ann Manly, an art studio major at Stanford in my third year.  I'm currently in the middle of my second quarter abroad with the Bing Overseas Program in Florence.  Staying two quarters has allowed me to really get settled in the community here in Florence and, among other things, do an internship.  I work at a small contemporary art gallery and café called Galleria Civico 69.  The gallery is run by a young woman named Daniela and her assistant, Francesca.   Both are very sweet and bright women, trying to encourage interest in emerging Italian artists.  The gallery frequently hosts events such as exhibit openings, concerts and book readings.  It also offers painting and photography lessons.  It is very active in the community and does quite a lot for such a humble enterprise.  My job at the gallery is mostly doing graphic design.  I make posters, flyers and business cards for them.  We've also been working on a catalogue of the gallery's permanent art collection.  For this, I have been translating all of their artist biographies into English.  Working at the gallery has been a fun and interesting way for me to get to know more of the Florentine community.  Often, time spent at my work consists simply of me discussing art with my co-workers and gallery patrons.  It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to learn about Italian contemporary art and meet artists and critics that frequent the gallery.” 

Savannah Haynes
“I am a junior with a double major in Sociology and International Relations and this quarter did an internship at the Poli Law Firm.  Mr. Poli, the Senior Partner, had me do research on professional legal societies in the US and the UK in order to learn more about their benefits and drawbacks.  This was of importance because Italy is currently in the process of developing professional legal societies.  At first I was a bit apprehensive because I was worried that I would not add anything to their office (because I am not in law school, have limited knowledge of the Italian language, and am not informed about the Italian legal system); however, everyone in the office was very accommodating and gave me tasks which I was capable of accomplishing.”

Natasha Hicks
“My name is Natasha Hicks, and I am an Architectural Design Major in the class of 2013. I have had the opportunity while in Florence to intern at Arcabi Associates, an architecture firm that specializes in the fashion sector. I am currently working on a large-scale mall the firm is designing in China, producing renderings in Photoshop and AutoCAD. This is a tremendous opportunity for me, not only to experience how an architecture firm functions overseas, but also for my language. While only a couple people in the office speak Italian, I am able to improve my language skills through interactions with my coworkers as well as operating programs like Photoshop and AutoCAD in Italian.”

Annie Case

“Here in Florence, I have an internship at a Law Firm next to the Ponte Vecchio. It is a great experience for me as a prospective lawyer because I am able to see the work that the law firm does in a variety of ways. Some weeks, I go with one of the firm's lawyers to "tribunale" (court) to watch them argue a case. Other weeks, I work at the firm writing letters to clients (in Italian!) or researching issues. It has been really interesting to see some of the similarities and differences between law as it functions in the United States versus here in Italy, and I've gained a lot from the experience of working abroad.”