Many of us have dreamt about studying abroad. At Florida State, we’re grateful to boast a wide array of destinations for students to travel to and create meaningful experiences – from Spain to London to Russia! I had the opportunity to interview Madi Hayes, a junior studying abroad in Florence, Italy, who’s following her artistic dreams as an intern at the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery!
Her Campus (HC): Tell me about your internship.
Madi Hayes (MH): I’m interning at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The Uffizi is a museum that holds some of the most famous works to come out of the Renaissance period! I work in the department of prints and drawings, aiding the development of the museum’s digital archive.
HC: What do your tasks and responsibilities include as an intern?
MH: My job consists of publishing and uploading images of prints and drawings from the department’s collections. In an average week, I personally would publish around 1,000 images. I’m responsible for making sure each drawing or print, before being digitally published, is correct in the sense that it matches its label and is labeled correctly. I’ve also helped photograph a handful of the drawings and prints that can be located on the Uffizi’s website.
HC: What did the application process look like?
MH: The application process was done through International Programs (IP) at FSU. I submitted a resume, two letters of recommendation, as well as an additional set of free-response questions. Usually, IP schedules an interview via Skype, but since I was already studying in Florence, I was able to actually conduct mine at the Uffizi alongside my FSU Florence internship coordinator.
HC: What made you want to pursue an internship at the Uffizi?
MH: The Uffizi is one of the most iconic museums in the world. It houses some of the most pivotal art pieces from Renaissance Italy. As an art-lover who aspires to have a career in this industry, the idea of working in the presence of Botticelli, da Vinci and Raphael’s creations was unreal and too good of an opportunity to pass up.
HC: Work can certainly be exhausting, especially in another language. How do you spend your free time?
MH: I spend most of my free time either planning trips with roommates, enjoying one of the many great meal voucher restaurants, exploring the city, or partaking in yoga! I try to travel as much as I can in my free time, which is why I’m often out of the country most weekends. So far this semester, I’ve traveled to Romania and Austria. For my spring break, I’m looking forward to exploring Morocco and Israel! My favorite travel destination I’ve visited while abroad is Kraków, Poland. Their perogies are bomb.
HC: What do you hope to gain from your time in Italy and at the Uffizi?
MH: I hope to gain a better grasp of the Italian language and culture. I studied abroad in Sweden when I was in high school and that experience has made the culture a second home to me. I hope I can look back on my time in Italy with a similar fondness. From the Uffizi, I hope to gain a better understanding of how museums work as a whole. This is my first exposure to what it’s like working inside a museum and I hope that this opportunity will provide me with a solid foundation that I can build further museum experience upon.
HC: What advice do you have for anyone interested in either studying or interning abroad?
MH: For future interns: language barriers and placements can be extremely daunting, but it all works out in the end! My biggest concern for my internship placement was that the language barrier would hinder me from making meaningful connections; however, I’ve been able to work through the language barrier and make memories I wouldn’t trade for the world. For studying abroad: just do it! A majority of class time is spent outside, applying the city to your studies! The opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture allows you to bond yourself there basically for life. The opportunity to have a second home somewhere else in the world is one I’d never trade, and I wish the same experience for you!
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