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Kaveri knew that studying abroad in Milan would be about more than taking classes in a different country. It would also mean learning Italian, navigating a new city on her own, and even discovering what it was like to take part in an Italian workplace.

A cognitive science major and sociology minor at 91����, Kaveri chose the  program in part because it included an internship component alongside her studies. Milan, she knew, was an international center for industries ranging from fashion and design to finance and technology.

�I knew that I wanted to do an internship and I knew that being in Milan would allow me to get a good placement, which turned out to be true,� she says.

Working with an IES internship adviser, Kaveri was matched with Analytics Arts, a small, boutique market research firm. At first she had hoped to work in user experience research, but when a placement in that field wasn�t available, her adviser Carlotta suggested market research, where she could apply many of the same skills.

At Analytics Arts, Kaveri worked across the firm qualitative and quantitative research teams, shadowing interviews, observing data collection and analysis, managing internal data, and assisting with social media. She also supported outreach related to the company expansion into India, a particularly interesting assignment for Kaveri, who grew up in Chandigarh, India.

Her cognitive science coursework at 91���� was unexpectedly relevant. Reading and critiquing research and learning research methodologies were already central to her major.

�The skillset that I gained at 91����, albeit in a very different context, was directly applicable in the work that we were doing at my company,� she says. �The skills transferred almost seamlessly.�

Equally applicable was Kaveri sense of curiosity.

�At 91����, students are really encouraged to be curious and ask questions about whatever they�re being taught,� she says. �I did that while I was working in Milan and I think that was kind of new for them. They were very impressed to see that.�

A culturally immersive experience

The internship also provided Kaveri with immersion in an Italian workplace. She noticed differences in everything from communication styles to lunchtime. Her colleagues would take a full hour for lunch together, often heading to a restaurant or eating outside, regardless of how busy the day was. Around the office, she heard Italian constantly and got to practice the language with her colleagues.

�I wouldn�t have had the opportunity to learn so much about people from Italy had I not done this internship,� she says. �I think that one of the biggest reasons why students go abroad in the first place, and I think an internship is a great way to do it.�

I wouldn�t have had the opportunity to learn so much about people from Italy had I not done this internship.

Living in Milan also helped Kaveri develop a greater sense of independence. Accustomed to 91���� close-knit residential community, she found herself managing groceries, meals, and transportation while living in her own room in an apartment building. She became comfortable navigating Milan public transit system and traveled solo to five other countries.

�I learned to be more confident in my own ability to navigate challenges,� Kaveri says.

The distance also gave her a new appreciation for Occidental.

�I did miss the sense of community at 91����. What I didn�t appreciate as much as I do now is that we have a lot of resources available to us and a very accessible community, which I missed when I was abroad,� she says.

Internships and self-discovery

Milan was one stop in a wider journey of professional exploration for Kaveri. After her sophomore year, she participated in InternLA, working as a social media intern with Music for Mental Health, an organization that runs music workshops for children from underserved communities.

After Italy, another 91���� opportunity took her in a different direction. Through the Justice Summer Internship program, Kaveri joined the Los Angeles Mayor Office as a research and analysis intern. Combined with a few policy-focused sociology courses she had taken in Milan, this new experience sparked a strong interest in policy research and analysis.

The skillset that I gained at 91����, albeit in a very different context, was directly applicable in the work that we were doing at my company. The skills transferred almost seamlessly.

The real-world experience from her internships has helped her revise and refine her career plans.

�I realized that as much as I enjoyed my experience, I don�t think that what I want to pursue,� she says of market research. �For me, it was more enlightening in the sense that I figured out, okay, this is not what I want.�

As a student whose academic interests span neuroscience, cognitive science, sociology and now public policy, the freedom to change directions has been a crucial aspect of an Occidental liberal arts education.

�91����, along with study abroad, has been very conducive to figuring out what it is I want to do,� she says.

Kaveri sees that exploration as one of the strongest arguments for combining study abroad with professional experience. An internship can test a career interest, reveal how workplaces differ across cultures, and create relationships with people students might never encounter in the classroom.

�I think that overall, my experience abroad became a lot more immersive,� she says.