Name: Daniella Lauriello
Year: Senior
Major: Finance
Age: 21
Hometown: Port St. Lucie
Her Campus (HC): Tell me about studying abroad in Italy for Spring 2016.
Daniella Lauriello (DL): It was absolutely incredible. It’s crazy how fast you have to learn things—for instance, I arrived to Italy and I was freezing. I had an immediate life lesson of knowing what needs to be packed before taking such a long trip. I instantly had to do an entire shopping trip! And even though this was my second abroad trip, they’re still chances to learn so much about yourself and just about different cultures in general. It truly is a life changing experience.
HC: Studying abroad sounds inspiring, honestly.
DL: It really allows you to find yourself and be okay with being alone, especially in a new place or, in my situation, a new place and a new country. You also end up making so many new friends who have the same mindset as you: to try new experiences, travel the world and to simply be happy. I even did a half marathon while in Florence. It was hard to leave a place I called home for four months, but I’m glad to be back!
HC: Back at FSU after being gone and you already have an internship! Tell me about it.
DL: Well I started my internship over the summer and I found it through the business center here at FSU. I work for a security company, handling all their finances, which sounds extremely boring, but oddly, it’s interesting. And while this isn’t exactly what I want to do in the future, it’s good to see how a business works and learn from professionals in the field.
HC: Any idea on what you want to do with your life (the major question for every college senior)?
DL: I’ve got a few ideas, but first I’m thinking about working in private equity, which is where you buy and sell companies, but you can do it for specific fields such as fashion, which is what I would want to do. My second thought is to do investment banking where I would work directly with numbers and analyze them for companies or individuals.
HC: What are your plans following graduation?
DL: I’ve actually been looking into the PA position for the study abroad program, which is where you would basically be an RA abroad, but it’s only a position you can hold once you’ve graduated, so I’m thinking about using that time to figure out the rest of my life. It’d be a nice break from school and before starting a real adult life. Basically, time to breathe.
HC: So, you’re on the Cross Country team. What made you want to join and how did you?
DL: A year and a half ago during summer time I was in Philly with my aunt and she convinced me to go for a run with her and, instantly, I was hooked. It gives you so much time to think and rid yourself of anxieties. That following November, she asked me to do a half [marathon] (13.1 miles) with her and I agreed. Knowing I could do that made me think I could truly go for it. My aunt then further convinced me to try out for a team here at FSU, so I emailed the coach over the summer about walking onto the team. Then, we started practicing in August and I was on the team! I’m going to be honest, when Gear Day rolled around, which is when you get the gear for being on a team, I cried after I received it—it was just such a surreal moment.
HC: How do you balance school, an internship, and cross country?
DL: Put simply, you don’t sleep as much as you’d like. For example, I wake up at 5am every day [and] head over to training. From training, I go to class, and then to my internship, to finally make it back home to do homework and then eventually fall asleep. In some instances, you may lose [your] social life, but for me, I know I always have my team. While this seems like a rough day, it’s become my everyday life and I wouldn’t change it. Honestly, balancing all of this makes me feel pretty empowered, like I can handle just about anything.