The Final Chapter of My Summer: Memories Abroad Captured in My Camera Roll

By Alanna Rivera

“The project is never finished.”

This quote reminds me of how things in this world are constantly evolving. There are projects all around us that
begin with the sole goal of helping others, uplifting communities, and many more eorts to help one another,
and what starts with one continues with another. As our world changes, these projects evolve with it to suit the
needs of their community. As my summer experience comes to a close, I am sad that it is over, but so grateful
that it happened. Studying abroad was a dream I held close to my heart for so long, and being the rst in my
family to go abroad and achieve this was such an unforgettable experience. I am proud for getting out of my
comfort zone and trying new things, reaching out and connecting with new people from all over the world.
While abroad, I discovered how to always nd the silver lining. Missed the train? I brought a card game we could
play while we waited. Took a wrong turn? We ended up in the cutest neighborhood with the most authentic
Italian food. Stranded in the middle of Tuscany with no train until tomorrow? Time to pool all of our Italian
knowledge and ask the locals for help. No water in the building? Lets talk a walk around Rome and nd the
ancient water fountains and ll up every waterbottle we have. Every wrong turn, missed train, and hiccup in our
carefully laid-out plans turned into the stories we’d later share with our families around the dinner table, or
maybe even with our kids someday. As someone who tries her best to never make mistakes, I think in the future I
want to allow myself to make them more. To leave room for the inevitable human error that may be the best
thing to ever happen to me. Even if it isnt, I will learn to nd the silver lining and enjoy it anyways. Something I
wish I could have done is explored more of what Rome had to oer. Rome is so huge steeped in history that I
wish I could have covered more ground. I do not have any regrets in my summer experience because it was all a
learning experience and every moment led me closer to the woman that I want to become.
As I return to FSU this fall, I have some exciting opportunities ahead! I’ll be joining the Medical Response Unit
as I work toward earning my Emergency Medical Responder certication. I’ll also be serving as a Community
Ambassador, and I’m looking forward to being matched with a nonprot soon, I’ll be helping connect them
with resources and support. On top of that, I’m diving deeper into my behavioral neuroscience courses, which
I’m genuinely so excited about. And I’m still waiting to hear back from an organization about joining their
E-board…ngers crossed!
This summer experience has helped prepare me for these new opportunities by showing me what it truly means
to engage with a community. Through my internship, I gained rsthand experience in a neuroscience lab, which
gave me a deeper understanding of both research and collaboration in a real-world setting