Summer internship on Italian island offers a bit of la dolce vita for VCU undergrad Maya Aboulhosn

By Amelia Heymann

Near the historic city of Naples, the Italian island of Ischia is known for its dramatic coastlines, beautiful beaches and stunning architecture. It's a great place to spend the summer, as Maya Aboulhosn can attest.

The rising senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, who is a marketing major in the School of Business with a minor in psychology, spent a month at the Pagoda Lifestyle Hotel on the island for a marketing internship. The program from the Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento is offered through VCU's Global Education Office. Aboulhosn received support from VCU's Internship Funding Program, run by VCU Career Services, which offers awards that help students defray the expenses associated with summer internships. She also received a scholarship from GEO's L&L Friendship Fund, which was established in September through an anonymous $2.5 million gift.

Aboulhosn had wanted to visit Italy since childhood but didn't think about studying abroad until a professor mentioned the summer program. To complete her minor, the program included a Psychology of Women course led in Sorrento by Kim Case, Ph.D., a VCU professor of psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

While not in class, Aboulhosn was roaming the Pagoda, creating content for the hotel's social media. She got to engage with staff while filming videos to show off the Pagoda's amenities.

"I filmed some videos with the chef," she said. "He taught me the history behind the food he made, and I got to learn some new things that I didn't know before - and I got to eat the food after, which was really great."

The internship, which was Aboulhosn's first marketing job experience, taught her a lot about balancing many tasks at once, as she was creating multiple videos concurrently so the hotel could stock up on content to post over time.

"I had to manage my time and get it done in such a short period. I only had five weeks there, so I feel like it was over fast," she said.

Aboulhosn also had a chance to network. During her last week at the Pagoda, the CEO and manager invited her into a meeting with a company working on a campaign for United Airlines. She was tasked with creating videos for a project targeting American tourists.

In a setting such as Ischia, the trip wasn't all work and no play. Aboulhosn traveled throughout Italy, including Rome, the Amalfi coast and Venice. And photography, one of her favorite hobbies, was a key part of the experience.

Italy's photogenic scenery and architecture were impressive, and Aboulhosn said Ischia itself was an ideal location because of the island's low tourist population and natural beauty.

"They had this castle that I kept walking to and taking pictures of - plus the beaches were amazing," she said.

While the summer internship offered many work and personal connections - "I made a lot of good friends … people who I will continue to talk to even after this program is over," she said - Aboulhosn almost didn't make it abroad. A friend who was going to join her had to back out at the last minute, and Aboulhosn almost did the same because of her introverted personality.

"But I am so glad I ended up doing it," she said. And she encourages other VCU students to do the same - and not to wait.

"I feel like my college experience is almost over," Aboulhosn said. "I wish I had more time to study abroad."

For more information about VCU's study abroad opportunities, visit global.vcu.edu/a

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