Make the Most of It: Meet Study Abroad Olivia Kamarec
Olivia Kamarec, who is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spent the Fall 2024 semester studying at JCU. She is a Business Management major and dreams of opening her own cafe someday. From her time at JCU, she cherishes her daily life in Trastevere and the opportunity to travel.
Tell us about your background. How did you end up choosing JCU?
I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have lived in the same area my whole life and it is one of my favorite places. I am a junior studying Business Management at the University of Dayton, in Ohio. I grew up with two loving parents and an older sister and brother. My family shaped me into the person I am, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities they have provided for me. My mother owns a boutique in our town, and I work there when I’m not at school. I hope to own my own small business in Pittsburgh one day.
I had heard many students at my school who had also studied abroad talk about JCU, and they had nothing but good things to say. Plus, while I was considering my options, my heart was always drawn to Italy. After doing more research, I decided that JCU was the perfect fit for me and would be the best school to help me achieve what I wanted out of studying abroad.
How did you choose to pursue a B.A. in Business Administration and Management?
My entire life I have been very passionate about my interests and hobbies – one of my interests being coffee. I currently work at an on-campus coffee house, and I am truly in love with my job. Once I started working there during my freshman year, I knew I wanted to follow through with my dreams and one day own my own cafe. I decided management would be the best path in order to learn how to manage a small business.
Tell us about your experience as a study abroad student at JCU. Is there a class or professor that positively challenged you and impacted you?
Studying at JCU was the most amazing experience I could have asked for. The classes were very engaging and enjoyable. A class that made my study abroad experience even better was the on-site course Renaissance Rome and Its Monuments with Professor Anna Tuck-Scala. It was my favorite class ever. Professor Tuck-Scala showed more interest in our class than I had ever experienced from any other teacher. She cared deeply about each and every one of us, and we could see her passion and love for the subject shining through, each week.
How was adjusting to life abroad? What did you learn about yourself while in Rome?
Going from my hometown to Rome was a very big leap, but it was amazing to experience something so new. Trastevere was unlike any neighborhood I have been in, and I fell in love with it. After four months abroad it became my home, and I now cherish Trastevere just as much as my hometown.
The first week of being abroad was one of the hardest times of my life. No matter what advice people give you, going to a different country alone is going to be scary. I had never left my family like that before, and I was very nervous about going on this adventure alone. I was beyond blessed with the most amazing roommates, who became my best friends. I quickly adjusted, started to get into a routine, and found my favorite spots that I would hit daily. I made so many connections throughout the semester not only with other students but also workers at nearby cafes as well. Overall, I learned that I am capable of challenging myself and making the most out of every situation. I figured out who I am as a person.
I ended up traveling to 11 different countries and over 20 cities. My favorite trip was to Morocco, in North Africa. I stayed in Marrakech for one weekend and I truly felt like I had stepped into a movie. There were rattlesnakes in the squares, as well as monkeys and peacocks. The souks (markets) were such an immersive experience that I will never forget. I got the chance to ride a camel through the desert and end the night with an authentic Moroccan meal and a lively show. I plan to go back to Africa at some point in my life to explore it a bit more because of how deeply I love the culture. In the future, I want to continue to travel. It is something I have fallen in love with, and I never want to stop creating these experiences.
What advice would you give to other prospective study abroad students?
My biggest piece of advice is to use every second of every day. With what JCU offers and how much they help students, I was able to travel every weekend, while still being very engaged in my studies. Most people do not get the chance to have this experience, so make the most of it. Meet as many people as you can no matter how hard it is for you to go up to them and be the first one to say “hi.” Do not let your fears stop you from doing anything.
