DESDE NUEVA JERSEY A FLORENCIA: JULIE GREDER, PASANTÍA EN GESTIÓN COMERCIAL Y MARKETING

Entrevista realizada por Laura Tressel.

Traducida por Miriam Jiménez.

Hola Julie, ¿Puedes contarnos un poco acerca de tu pasantía y cuál es la labor que desempeñas?

     Estoy realizando un período de prácticas en  Gestión Comercial y Marketing para una joyería muy prestigiosa situada en Piazza Santa Croce. Fundamentalmente, mi labor es encargarme de todos los medios de comunicación social o ‘Social Media’ de la tienda, además de servir como vehículo entre los clientes y CEO cuando llevan a cabo comunicaciones a través de correo electrónico y Facebook. Tambien hago marketing del producto. Tomo fotos de muchos de los objetos de la tienda y posteriormente las publico en la página web de la empresa. Por otro lado, estoy a cargo del boletín de noticias mensual de la tienda, el cual estaré realizando durante el mes de enero, incluso después de que acabe mi pasantía.

¿Has aprendido algo especialmente interesante durante este tiempo?

     He aprendido cómo identificar piedras preciosas. He estado tomando fotos de las joyas en la tienda para publicarlas en la página de Facebook. Una vez etiqueté una pieza como safiro, pero realmente era una tanzanita. Mi jefa no se enfadó, sino que, por el contrario, pensó que lo ocurrido era muy gracioso. Pero ahora conozco todas las diferencias existentes entre las diferentes piedras.

¿Qué estás estudiando en la escuela  y cómo lo aplicas aquí?

     Mi especialidad es la Gestión Politica y Sanitaria. Es cierto que no está muy relacionado con el tipo de pasantía que estoy realizando y es un poco anecdótico cómo ocurrió todo… Encontré el Istituto Europeo a través de internet, debido a que yo había estudiado en Florencia durante el otoño, y quería volver, ya que realmente me gustó.

     Sentí que no había pasado tiempo suficiente en Florencia, y además, quería continuar aprendiendo italiano. Cuando fui aceptada en el Programa de Prácticas, me comunicaron que no había ninguna pasantía disponible para mi campo de estudio, por lo que mi Curriculum Vitae fue enviado a varias empresas. Fue entonces cuando ésta tienda se interesó por mí debido a que yo tenía experiencia en medios de comunicación social o ‘social media’, y fue así como acabé trabajando aquí.

Cuéntanos más acerca de porqué volviste de nuevo a Florencia tras estudiar aquí durante el otoño.

     Pues, el motivo principal es que realmente quería aprender italiano, y además, sabía que esta iba a ser más que una experiencia, y más divertida que si hacía una pasantía en casa, en Nueva Jersey. En cuanto a mi nivel de italiano, definitivamente está mejorando, aunque aún no tengo demasiada fluidez, ya que esto requiere años, pero creo que las clases en el Istituto Europeo fueron geniales porque aprendí muchísima gramática, la cual no sabía antes de venir. Ahora logro entender mucho más durante una conversación y puedo hablar más, lo cual es increíble.

¿Qué es lo mejor de vivir aquí?

     Siempre hay algo que hacer en Florencia. A veces hay festivales o diferentes exhibiciones, pero siempre hay algo. Por otro lado, la comida es definitivamente genial. No tengo restaurante favorito porque siempre intento probar a comer en diferentes lugares. Hay un sitio que realmente me gusta, llamado ‘Pane e Toscana’. Tienen sandwiches con salami de jabalí, queso de oveja y mermelada de arándanos. Puede que no suene demasiado bien, pero creeme, son deliciosos.

¿Qué consejos le darías a un futuro estudiante o pasante que venga a  Florencia?

     Primero de todo, sobre el clima, hace mucho calor durante el verano, así que le aconsejaría que viniera preparado/a para ello. Además, es importante que, si viene para realizar un período de prácticas o pasantía, tenga una mente abierta. Le diría que no piense que no le beneficia el hecho de que las prácticas no sean de su campo de estudio, ya que cualquier experiencia es buena, y más que una experiencia académica, se vive una experiencia cultural y de vida.

     Se aprende cómo funciona el ambiente de trabajo, el cual está basado en la combinación de las diferentes culturas y valores. Aprender el idioma es definitiviamente una ventaja, porque les dará mucho para ofrecer. Creo que todo el mundo debería vivir la experiencia de vivir en otra parte del mundo en algún momento de su vida, ya que de otro modo, nunca  entenderán realmente cómo funciona el mundo. Se volverán más comprensivos y tolerantes hacia los demás, y creo que esto te hace más amigable porque quieres conocer gente, hablar con ellos y aprender de sus diferentes experiencias.

¿Crees que volverás de nuevo?

     Me encanta Florencia. Me gustaría volver, pero no lo sé porque me gustaría vivir una experiencia como esta en otras partes de Italia que no he conocido todavía. Florencia siempre tendrá un lugar especial en mi corazón, así que estoy segura de que volveré en algún momento de mi vida.

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From New Jersey to Florence: Julie Greder, Internship in Brand Marketing

Julie, can you tell us a little bit about your internship and what you do? 

I am the Brand Marketing Intern for a very successful jewelry shop in Piazza Santa Croce. Essentially what I do is run all the social media of the store as well as being the medium between clients and CEO when they conduct communications through email and Facebook. I also do product marketing. I take pictures of a lot of things in the store and advertise them on the website. I am in charge of creating the monthly newsletter for the store, which I'll be doing through January, even after my internship ends. 

Have you learned anything especially interesting?

How to identify gemstones. I was taking pictures of jewelry in the store to post on the Facebook page, and I labeled one piece as a sapphire, but really it was a tanzanite. My boss wasn't mad, she thought it was really funny. But now I know all the differences between the different stones. 

What are you studying at school and how did that lead you here?

My major is Healthcare Management and Policy. I know it doesn't exactly relate to my internship, and it's kind of funny what happened… I found Istituto Europeo online because I had studied in Florence in the fall and wanted to return because I really liked it. I didn't feel like I was here long enough the first time, and I also wanted to continue learning Italian. When I was accepted into the internship program, there weren't any internships available in my field of study, so my resume was sent out to several different companies. This store was interested in me because I had experience in social media communications, so that's how I got to work here. 

Tell us more about why you came back to Florence after studying in the fall.

Well I wanted to learn Italian really badly, and I also knew that this would be more of a life experience, and more fun that doing an internship at home in New Jersey. As for my Italian, it's definitely improving although i'm nowhere near fluent because that takes years. But I think that the class I took at Istituto Europeo was great because it taught me a lot of grammar that I didn't know before. Now I can understand a lot more in conversation and I can speak more which is awesome. 

What is the best part about living here?

There is always something going on in Florence! Whether it's a festival or some type of exhibition, there is always something. The food is definitely a great thing too. It's incredible! I don't have a favorite restaurant, because I try to eat at different places all the time. There is a panini place I really like though, called Pane e Toscana where they have a sandwich with wild boar salami, pecorino cheese, and blueberry jam. It doesn't sound like it would taste very good, but trust me, its fantastic.  

Do you have advice for a future student or intern in Florence?

Well first of all, its really hot here in the summer so make sure you come prepared. More importantly, if you are coming for an internship, be open-minded. Don't think that if you come for an internship that isn't in your field of study that it won't benefit you. Any experience is good experience, and here especially you are getting more than academic experience, you are getting life and cultural experience. You learn how to function in a work environment that's based on different cultures and values. Learning the language is definitely a plus because it will give you more to offer. I think everyone should experience living in a different part of the world at some point in their life, otherwise you can't really understand how the world works if you never leave your home country. You will become more understanding of other people, and I think it makes you friendlier too because you want to meet people and talk with them and learn about their different experiences. 

Do you think you'll come back again?

I love Florence. I'd like to come back, but I don't know when because I'd also like to experience other parts of Italy that I haven't seen yet. Florence will always have a special place in my heart though, so I will be back at some point in my life. 

Hanna Emelie Jonasson from Sweden, internship in Fashion

When I arrived in Florence 3 months ago, I had some doubts about my stay here in Florence. But my experience here was so good that I decided to stay longer: one year. My internship was by a fashion company. In this company I made a lot of things, but above all I researched for my new collection.

I recommend this experience. But one has to be prepared to make many and different things, for this you need to have initiative and work hard. To improve the language is a good opportunity.

According to my supervisor at the company, hosting student interns is in any agency’s best interest. For a company in the fashion sector, having international interns is essential. In addition to providing a way of working with new people, it creates an environment where a constant flux of ideas comes from students who, coming from different countries, contribute their own unique perspectives to the agency. It’s vital for a fashion company to exchange ideas with others who can share their differing points of view on fashion. Still, the students do not benefit as much as they could, according to my supervisor. While the company provides many opportunities for interns, many of them limit themselves to simple office work.

An internship is a tremendous opportunity for the students, both linguistically and professionally. The student should push their capacities to the limit and show a spirit of initiative during their time at the agency in order to procure the maximum possibilities for their professional futures. In the fashion sector, the most talented students are usually the Europeans, especially the Belgians.

In many cases, the students often end up doing internships more to please their families than to satisfy any interest they may have in research. RESEARCH is in fact the most important element of the internship, according to my supervisor.

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Istituto Europeo internship program: GOKI FUJIYA, intern in Pharmacovigilance

Goki Fujiya

by Ilaria Gelichi

Goki, tell us something about yourself. Who are you, how old are you and where are you from…

My name is Goki Fujiya, I’m 36 years old and I come from Sapporo, Japan.

What is your field of study?

I studied medicine and at first I worked as a medical doctor in Japan. Then I went to an American law school in Philadelphia to become a lawyer and I took an internship in law as well. After this period, I practiced as a medical doctor but I realized that I was more interested in the pharmaceutical sector. For this reason, I decided to take an internship in pharmacovigilance.

Why did you choose this program, and Italy?

I chose Italy because I was interested in the Italian language, and this program has given me the chance to both study Italian and intern in pharmacovigilance. I chose Istituto Europeo’s internship program also for the excellent internship placement, the good price and the possibility to intern without any knowledge of Italian.

What do you like most about the city of Florence - and of Italy of course?

I really like Italian language and culture. I lived in other countries – like Germany – and I met a lot Italians. Italian people are very friendly and nice, so I really enjoy living among Italians and having Italian friends.

Florence is a beautiful city. I live in the center and it’s wonderful. I like walking in the streets, admiring the buildings and the scenery.

Where do you currently work here in Florence?

I work at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, a very good placement.

Which kind of internship are you doing? What are your main tasks and responsibilities?

I’m doing an internship in Pharmacovigilance, also known as Drug Safety. During the first weeks my supervisors showed me the Pharmaceutical Department in all its sections and showed me what they are doing, and on what they are working. After this period I focused on pharmacovigilance and on my research. In general, pharmacovigilance analyzes the side effects of many kinds of medicines on patients. In particular, my research focuses on the side effects of new medicines introduced in Europe and Italy, but well known and used for several years in the USA. I analyze the data of the American Food and Drug Administration and collect information about what kind of side effects there are with these new drugs in America and what kind of guideline the US government has made. Another task I have is to research the crushing of medicines – which means, side effects caused when medicines are crashed (like pills with a particular coating) for patients who have stomach or throat problems and cannot swallow them intact.

Did you like this internship?

Yes, I really enjoy my internship!

Would you recommend this internship and this program to someone else?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this internship in pharmacovigilance. In my experience, most people I work with speak English, so I don’t have much difficulty. In other fields, some knowledge of the Italian language is required; one more reason to study Italian!

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LIBRERIA DELLE DONNE a bookshop, library, historical archive, social service agency, advocacy center, and much more - in the centre of Florence

 by Rachael Perez

            A common characteristic that is shared among social organizations is to have a hand in several different affairs; as creating and promoting change within a community is a job that can certainly be described as multi-faceted.  When I sat down with Signora Milly Mazzei from Libreria delle Donne though, I could not have foreseen just how many hats this association wears. At face value one may only see a bookstore. As I learned this is much on the contrary, as the extent of their work goes beyond the small shop on Via Fiesolana; to serve not only as a business, but as a cultural and social venue as well.

            Opened on March 8^th, 1980, the Libreria delle Donne still holds true to its feminist roots as a self-proclaimed bookshop for women. It may come as no surprise that it was the Cooperative of Women who opened its doors and who, despite formally transitioning from a single cooperative into two separate associations, continues to oversee it today. Signora Milly explains how at the time of its foundation in 1979, she was its youngest member and a student furthering her cause for a collective center… a library where women could come together. As the feminist movement of the 1970’s was alive and well throughout Italy, these 37 women of all different ages, occupations, and socio-economic levels, decided to open a bookshop dedicated to selling only women’s literature. The city of Florence granted them the space, which had been abandoned for 60 years; “we had a lot of work to do, but we did it. Just us women, we renovated the whole thing ourselves” says Milly. Their efforts were rewarded as its opening was met with popular demand, calling for a staff of at least three women per shift to keep up with the public’s interest. Now, 33 years later, it opens its doors to more than just customers off the street.

            To uphold its mission, which Milly describes as, “helping the Florentine community as a whole in any way they can, with special attention and focus on women”, the Libreria has partnered with several Italian entities to lend a helping hand; the first of these being with local prisons for women. The female prisoners make items such as t-shirts and bags, which the bookstore then sells. In a similar fashion, the shop has also partnered with a specific women’s prison group known as Pantagruel. What is unique about this particular group is that instead of bags and t-shirts, the convicts make dolls and stuffed animals following the guidelines of psychiatrist, Steiner. It was his theory that providing individuals with this hands-on framework was parallel to techniques used to educate young people. The Libreria has received several letters from the women, expressing their gratitude and explaining how what they earned from the sales, allowed them to send money back home to their families.

            It is not only female convicts that this association works with, but also a group of male juveniles as well. The bookshop first came into contact with these young men when the prison bought several book titles from the Libreria to supply their library. Through this supply of literature the prisoners began to read a book about a young girl coming from Iran to Italy. The story unfolds to explain how she struggles to gain citizenship and recognition from the Italian government, despite her having lived in Italy during the early years of her life. “What was interesting to see…” says Milly, “is how the male convicts identified with her story, which at its core was a tale of multiple identities and the struggle that came with that”. The Iranian girl who wrote the story heard about how the convicts and the personal intrigue it had sparked among them, and went to visit. Since that time, the bookshop has worked closely with the juveniles to raise public awareness and support for them.

            It may seem unconventional for a bookshop to be partnering with populations that society typically deems as unwanted and unreachable, but the goal of their work is to give the public different insights to violence. Whether it is the violence that comes with bureaucracy, as the Iranian girl faced, or the violence of criminals’ pasts, as they attempt to move forward and rehabilitate themselves; the Libreria wants to help the community see that violence does not always have to perpetuate more violence. Good can come from evil. Another goal of this work is to help these groups (and their projects) be financially self-sustaining. All the profits made go directly back to the prisons; the bookshop does not take any money from the sale. These groups are not receiving monetary support from the Italian government, so the only way to continue their work is to support themselves.

            If this community outreach is not enough, the Libreria also serves as a sort of social service agency, where individuals (particularly women) can drop in with their questions or concerns if they are faced with personal struggle, may it be physical, emotional, or psychological. After talking with the individual to assess their situation, the staff can then make the appropriate recommendation to a local social service agency, where they can seek professional and/or medical help. It is this part of their work that according to Milly makes their association unique. “We are open right out on the street, six days a week”, says Milly, so if a woman should need help she can seek refuge at a known establishment, or rather within the comfort of a familiar place.

            After discovering that the bookshop’s influence extends far beyond its doors, one may wonder the impact it has within its four walls, so to speak. This is where I introduce the archive. As a champion of feminism, both past and present, the archive works to preserve the history of the feminine mystique. Within this collection of literature devoted to the feminist movement lies journals, magazines, and articles that can no longer be found. The Libreria has held subscriptions to social science and feminist review magazines from U.S., Germany, France, and Spain going back to 1980. Milly also gained access to archives from a former activist group in Florence, whose work cannot be accessed anywhere else but at the shop. Holding even more recognition, specifically on the feminist movement in Italy, are the bookstore’s original copies of the magazine Effe. During the 1970’s this publication was considered a bible for Italian women. Unfortunately, the Libreria is the only place where one can find copies of every issue it published and because of this it is conserving the political memories of this social movement, and keeping the feminist memory alive.

            In fact, many of the 4,900 books, articles, and magazines that are stored at the Libreria have either gone missing, or have a limited amount of copies left in existence. Therefore the shop’s utilization of a digital inter-library loan system, established by the public libraries within Italy 13 years ago, serves as the point of access for those looking to read the literature of the time. The process for uploading their material is one that is ongoing, with the delay being an issue of “no time and no money” says Milly. However, if one is looking to access the information first hand, they are more than welcome to come into the shop and read to their hearts content; but cannot take any archive material out of the shop.

            In addition to the archive the Libreria also holds a special reading group, with the texts selected focusing solely on feminist issues. Started eight years ago with the participation of other local social organizations, this reading group is today comprised of twenty women, and in its most recent form this group has developed into a literature and writing group. The bookstore also holds lectures every Sunday, which are open to the public. The topic although ever-changing, from female roles in the theater to famous English Florentine community members, is always feminist in nature. Finally, there are the books that the shop writes and publishes to raise awareness about the great female artists, both past and present who are unknown. In a city where art is at every corner and is visited by crowds who have come to see the masters, this association is doing its part to showcase these talented women and their work.

            Although Milly acknowledges that there are other social organizations working to help women and highlight the history of feminism, there are not many others (if any at all) that are as eclectic as Libreria delle Donne. For they are a bookshop, library, historical archive, social service agency, advocacy center, and the list can go on; so I take my hat off to the association that proudly wears so many for the city of Florence.

UNESCO CENTRE OF FLORENCE: a group of young individuals sharing a dream to change the world

Mr. Francesco Grassellini

written by Rachael Perez




As I continue my social research, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Grassellini at UNESCO Centre of Florence to understand the work this organization is doing. Our discussion shed light on several misconceptions that I had prior; notably three things: their work abroad, their use of interns, and their focus on education above all else.

Situated beneath the umbrella of the United Nations, UNESCO Centre of Florence works to “put into practice the UNESCO (international) mission” states Mr. Grassellini. Their purpose is contrived from UNESCO’s target outreach areas; dealing with social matters associated with education, science, culture, and communication / information. As a non-government organization (NGO), they are not considered an international entity under the Italian law; therefore they do not formally operate at the diplomatic level and must adhere to local laws. What is surprising to learn is how despite this organization being locally based, its work still extends beyond the city limits, reaching even as far as Cambodia.

While their UN counterpart disperses aid via the top-down approach, this agency does the opposite. Using the strategy known as bottom-up, they work to create change within the people and the community, hoping the social repercussions will move upward to create change at the national and international levels. UNESCO Centre of Florence works together with other NGOs, both local and abroad to tackle contemporary social issues. Mr. Grassellini explains their method is somewhat unique- an approach called Co-development; where the same social issues are simultaneously addressed in both developed and developing nations. Therefore, the goal will be the same despite the contrary societal norms, but the objectives to achieving such goals may vary. For example, take the goal of teaching subject matter that public schools do not cover; in a developing nation the method of doing so may be to teach alphabetization. In a developed nation, where students are able to recite the alphabet but do not know about the transmission of STDs, the method may consist of providing sex education classes.

Admittedly, the organization can at times find it difficult to perfectly mirror the UNESCO ideals, mainly for two reasons: money and size. Their status as a local NGO means they do not receive funds from the Italian government to run on. The agency is financially self-sustaining off of the money they receive from either private grants, or the fundraisers that they hold. This is one of reasons why Mr. Grassellini hopes to spread the word on the work that he and his team are doing; “one dollar can make a difference”, he says. To be honest I found this reality surprising, as I like many others I suppose, heard the term UNESCO and arrived at the conclusion that they were funded via UNESCO (international). Fortunately enough, their affiliation to one of the most internationally recognized organizations in the world, has drawn together a group of young individuals sharing a dream to change the world. Although I cannot foresee the future and thus, the fate of UNESCO Centre of Florence, something tells me they can survive and prosper. With a staff consisting of individuals who are educated and prepared to navigate both, political and social avenues, they have an advantage.

Furthermore, I must take a moment to applaud their use of interns constructively and without reservation. Comprised of a modest staff; with four clerks and one President, the organization relies heavily on volunteers and interns alike. Particularly for young professionals looking to gain formative work experience within an agency dedicated to social justice, this may just be the place. Although it is affiliated with one of the most reputable, international organizations in the world there is no need to have reservations about being lost in the crowd, or becoming the staff secretary and making daily coffee runs. Here, interns are utilized in the most professional manner, typically over the course of six months. Through hands-on involvement with tasks such as: planning / promoting fundraisers, project development, and community outreach, they learn the expectations of working within an international NGO and will professionally evolve from, what Grassellini calls, “a 0 to 8 worker”. Moreover, if interns display a performance of good quality, they will be provided with a formal cover-letter and recommendation for their portfolio.

In fact, it is this standard of active participation from all those contributing their time, which supplements the fulfillment of the organization’s mission. When you have a group of people from all walks of life, engaged in daily problem solving, it ignites a cultural exchange. Each person has a different mindset and thus, their own cultural paradigm, so the key is working together to find a mutual solution. From the inside, this is just one way that the agency works to promote cooperation and understanding between those of different cultures…a UNESCO (international) goal. External promotion consists of building community awareness through holding public events that highlight various cultures, or offering courses/lectures that explain the origins and characteristics of different cultural backgrounds.

As champions for access to education, their charge is encompassed by a UNESCO quote: “Sometimes a teacher can save more lives than a doctor”. It comes as no surprise then that the future plans of this organization include an academic agenda, both locally and abroad. Specifically in Thailand, they are attempting to increase the amount of English being taught. In Italy, they work to continually provide instruction that the government does not have as part of the public curriculum. Specifically HIV prevention, as the data reports statistics of 12 new infections each day, predominately among teens.

In a place where it seems that cultural preservation is the lifeblood of the city, I was again surprised to discover this organization’s emphasis on education. I must admit that being an entity whose title includes the word culture I was jotting down questions inquiring about the rehabilitation process of ancient, marble statues in preparation for the interview. What I found was an agency taking, what I consider, a step outside the cultural box. Their work is very modern indeed, as Mr. Grassellini informs me on my way out that UNESCO is still an up-and-comer in the Western world. Although there are nearly 100 site locations throughout Italy, they are only just beginning to grow and develop in the United States.

In a time such as this, where globalization is no longer a theory of the future but rather standing at our gate, someone who has knowledge has power. Operating within the light of education is something that UNESCO Centre of Florence cannot stress enough when it comes to the agency’s work. As Mr. Grassellini says, education is the key which opens many doors and will create what he calls, “a new kind of citizen” for the world of tomorrow.