Article By: Emma LeMay
Meet one of Marist’s most international foxes, Alexandra (Sasha) Schmitt! Sasha is new on campus this fall after spending her first year abroad in Florence, Italy. She is an international business major and calls her current home Kyiv, Ukraine! Catch her at Starbucks in Hancock.
HC: What made you want to attend Marist?
SS: My mom is actually a Marist alum, and my dad went to West Point, so I think I was drawn to the Hudson Valley area early on. I also thought the FFE Program was really unique and interesting. Since I haven’t spent many years in the United States, I figured spending a year in Italy with American students would help ease my transition to Marist in Poughkeepsie.
HC: What was a highlight of your freshman year abroad?
SS: Definitely the coffee culture! I loved checking out cafes and trying lattes in Italy and beyond. I highly recommend a V60 pour over at Ditta Artigianale (three locations in Florence). My spring break trip to Amsterdam and Paris with my friend Emma was also quite memorable. Not many people can say they’ve witnessed a proposal at the Eiffel Tower!
HC: Where have you lived?
SS: I’ve lived all over the world. A few years in the United States when I was younger, Georgia, Moldova, and most recently Uzbekistan and Ukraine to name a few.
HC: What advantages have you gained from growing up outside the United States?
SS: I cherish the different cultures I’ve been immersed in. Being American but living abroad has forced me to gain multiple perspectives. It’s what got me interested in international business and politics. Growing up in a house headed by diplomats is rare, and I’m so grateful for the experience.
HC: Do you speak any languages other than English?
SS: Yes! I am fluent in Russian. My dad studied Russian at Middlebury College, and he spoke to me in Russian while growing up. My two twin sisters also speak Russian, so the four of us speak it at home and in Ukraine.
HC: How are you liking Marist in Poughkeepsie so far?
SS: It’s certainly different than Florence! I’ve always wanted to experience an American college though, and the campus here is beautiful. I love that we are so close to New York City (I went there to celebrate my twentieth birthday a few weekends ago). I guess it’s a little more challenging to meet people as I’ve transferred here as a sophomore.
HC: What are you involved in on campus?
SS: I am doing ROTC this year, and I’m also a tutor and a student ambassador. ROTC has been an eye opening experience and a really good program for me to push myself and my peers.
HC: What’s your dream job?
SS: Opening an international coffee shop chain.