The Italian department changed the course of my life!

Studying Italian at Mount Holyoke was the catalyst that gave me the tools I needed to make the move to Europe.

Alexandra Ekstein-Kon ’11, Senior Editor

Major: Art History and Italian double major

Internships: Collezioni Comunali d'Arte Bologna, Office of International Relations Ca' Foscari Venice 

Study Abroad: Bologna Consortial Studies, Italy

Awards: Miriam C Camps Award: Funded summer internship at the Office of International Relations in Venice. 

Employer: Movie Pilot

While at Mount Holyoke I studied both Italian and Art History, and my resulting experiences have been fundamental in enabling me to establish myself in Europe and continue to learn new languages. 

During my junior year at MHC, I participated in the BCSP study abroad program in Bologna, Italy and finished off the year with a 3-month internship at the International Relations Office at Ca' Foscari University in Venice. Both of these experiences prepared me for what living and working in Europe really entails, and made my transition smoother by helping me foster wonderful connections and move fluidly in culturally diverse settings.  

I am currently living in Berlin, Germany and working as a Senior Editor for an entertainment website called Movie Pilot. While I live in Germany and work in English, studying Italian at Mount Holyoke was the catalyst that gave me the tools I needed to make the move to Europe. Mastering Italian has also helped me become a bit of a polyglot, with both Spanish and German now on my list of spoken languages too!

With the help and encouragement of the fantastic MHC Italian Department, I was able to participate in programs that I can honestly say have changed the course of my life. Grazie mille