The Business of Space: Study Abroad Alumna Teresa Alessandro
Teresa Alessandro
Teresa Alessandro, who is from White Plains, New York, spent the summer of 2012 studying abroad at JCU. She holds a B.B.A. in International Business and Italian from Iona College in New York. She is currently a New York State-Licensed Real Estate Broker in Manhattan.
Tell us about your current position.
As a NYS Licensed Real Estate Broker in Manhattan, I’m in the business of space. Whether it’s residential or commercial, I help clients help find the ideal location and negotiate the best value for it.
What made you decide to choose John Cabot as a place to study abroad in Rome?
My family’s Italian heritage and my dual citizenship made me leap at the opportunity to study abroad in Rome at JCU. It was the perfect blend of American and Italian culture, a forum of creative and ambitious minds, and most importantly professors who challenged me.
Tell us about the classroom experience you found at JCU.
I took International Economics and my professor was Dean of Academics Mary Merva, who is truly an “out of the box” thinker. We’d learn about the topic of free trade, then hop on the subway and experience the concept hands-on in a real Roman outdoor market. I also really enjoyed the Fashion Retailing course I took with Professor Antonella Salvatore.
What are your fondest memories of JCU?
Inside the classroom, it was the debates on the economic ripple effects of the Eurocrisis. With the European Union being a major topic of debate at the time, we were learning how EU politics and economics directly affected the people living in individual countries. Outside of the classroom, my fondest memories include navigating the ancient city streets to get to a bookstore or an open-air market or taking a day trip to Santa Marinella beach north of Rome.
Did you acquire any useful skills during your time at John Cabot University?
I learned how to get around before the days of GPS or imaps! I developed a sense of direction in a foreign land, and I greatly improved my Italian, which is very useful since I have many Italian clients here in NYC.
What do you miss most about Rome?
Honestly, la carbonara. I miss the Roman dialect, the midday pauses, the social element of always finding someone to talk to and listen to.
What advice would you give to students considering JCU as a place to study abroad?
Pack your bags and take a leap. It’s absolutely revolutionary when you immerse yourself in something unknown. This experience contributed so much to who I am today both as a person and as a professional. I encourage students to enroll in JCU in order to get a taste of Italian culture and give their education a boost.
