The Italian Way of Life
Many students have aspirations that they are told they will never reach. What sets Anissa Figueroa apart from most students is that she made the unattainable possible. She returned to the College of New Rochelle this Spring for her final semester. Anissa gracefully and artfully resumed her job as a Starbucks barista and full time Communication Arts major. What some may not know is that she spent her fall semester pursuing her journalism dreams while traveling and studying in Florence, Italy.
Born and raised in New Rochelle, New York, Anissa always wanted to help the people around her. Her main concern was trying to figure out how to do so. “I was never sure what I wanted concretely,” she said. Then she recalled her high school religion teacher hearing her read the bible and suggesting that she would make an excellent orator. A year later, Anissa arrived at CNR and immediately started lecturing at the chapel. In her classes, all of her professors made it clear that she had a strong presence and creative side. Guidance from her long time advisor made it clear to Anissa that she should study Communication Arts. Those experiences inspired her to aspire to become a news anchor. This was her dream for her last three and half years of college, prior to her going abroad.
Anissa’s passion for broadcast journalism and her love for Italian films had always stimulated her interest in visiting Italy. However, it was her advisor, Dr. Zimmer who encouraged her to study abroad. For a while she was hesitant to even apply because she believed financial reasons would hinder her ability to go. She then thought back to her childhood attending a school rich in Italian culture. She remembered her love for the language, the food, and the culture in entirety. She eventually put her fears aside and decided she was determined to go.
With guidance from Ms. Silvana Bajana, head of the study abroad program, Anissa would soon be on her way to spending her fall semester of her senior year in Florence Italy. In her final months of making preparations to leave, she was faced with another issue, “I spoke to my boss for my internship over the phone and she told me that although the people around me would be going site seeing, and having all kinds of fun, I wouldn’t have time for that because I was going there to work,” she recalled. Anissa was still determined to have the full European experience. She decided that although her main priorities would be her internship and academics, she would do everything in her power to get the opportunity to explore Europe.
“As soon I stepped off the plane, it felt like the start of something that was destined to be great,” Anissa proclaimed. She moved into a beautiful apartment with a waterfront view. She shared this space with three other exchange students from the United States. Two were fashion majors and the other was marketing major, so they each had a great common ground for communicating with each other. “I was completely and utterly in love with my surroundings. It felt like home,” Anissa stated.
While there, Anissa took two classes and had a full time internship. “I took a very interesting photography class,” she said. Prior to going abroad she never took a class on photography. She thought she had an idea of what to expect but the class turned out to be a complete surprise. “My personal project consisted of me using ink water splats and tying them to particular emotions. I then took different pictures of my creations,” she stated. Anissa also took an Italian language class that consisted of three classes in one. “We started off at the intro level, and then we moved on to the beginner advanced level and by the end of the semester we were learning intermediate one and two,” she recalled. She then began to state how great both of her professors were. “My photography professor was constantly pushing me to strive to do the best work possible and my Italian professor gave me a clear understanding of the language in such a short period of time,” she stated.
Life there soon became the adventure she so longed for. Anissa’s internship was at a Music Company named Tempo Reale. They made experimental music, which was mostly used as underscores for sci-fi films and horror flicks. “I learned so much about how to deliver a good story from watching them. It was very difficult at first because I am not fluent in Italian and most of my co-workers did not speak much English. I found myself making signals with my hands, drawing pictures and often using a dictionary, in order to finish all of my task each day,” she recalled.
Once Anissa settled in, she began to set her sights back on the great opportunity that she had right in front of her. “Once I understood what was expected of me each week, one of my roommates and I began to travel every weekend. This thought me a lot about financial responsibility because I was paying for each of these trips out of my own pocket,” she stated. On most occasions they spent the entire day in a particular place but on others, they only got to spend a few hours. Anissa went to the Spain, Rome, Venice, and Milan. She also went to the Czech Republic, which she stated to be her favorite place to visit throughout the entire trip. “The Czech Republic is a very beautiful and special place. It was rich in Jewish culture and all of the townspeople were very nice,” she stated.
Anissa considers her entire trip to be one of life’s greatest lessons. “I learned so much about myself while I was there. There was no laundry room in my building. I had to drag my laundry down the block and pay to get it washed. One night I was coming back and I got locked out of my apartment. There’s a law against ringing a doorbell too late, so I ended up having to pay for a hotel for the night. This is when I realized that I have the ability to think quickly and get myself out of bad situations. My trip allowed me to affirm that I am independent, responsible and ready for the next portion of my life,” she stated.
Anissa Figueroa has already accomplished many of her life goals and this is only the beginning. She was once a young girl sitting on her couch watching Italian films, to now being able to say she lived in Florence and explored Europe. “You change your way of life when you see how others live. It becomes a part of you when you leave,” she stated in reference to her trip. Her trip abroad changed her perception of the world and led her to have new aspirations of becoming a Communications Arts teacher after graduation. “Hopefully I can give back to my high school that gave so much to me. I want to inspire some of my students to get into Communications and even to study abroad one day,” she said. With only a few months left in her last semester of CNR, Anissa has a high hopes and big dream of an uplifting bright future.
