If you were to ask a Saint Mary’s student what types of goals she would have on her bucket list, one of the items may include “traveling the world.” This Belle has traveled to multiple parts of Europe and has a slightly different bucket list item—“to work and live in Europe.” Stephanie O’Sullivan is a senior Communicative Studies major from the Orlando, FL area with hopes of becoming an event coordinator; with Irish blood fueling her passion, she’s graduating a semester early and bought a one-way ticket to London to accomplish her dreams!
Why did you decided to come to Saint Mary’s College?
I visited campus during a ND football weekend for the first time during my senior year of high school. I met with an admissions counselor and had a tour of campus. I fell in love with the programs offered and the study abroad programs. Nobody really warned me about the South Bend winters though!
How long have you wanted to be an event coordinator? What drew you to live and work in London?
Event coordination actually wasn’t a career I considered until my first internship in London. I worked on the social media accounts, but I was always fascinated with what the events team was doing. My brother lives in London, so I was able to stay with him, and I was lucky enough to have internships there after freshman and sophomore years. Two days after I landed for the first summer, I knew I wanted to live there permanently!
What was your favorite city/country in Europe to travel to when you studied abroad? (Probably London, but I still had to ask!)
While London would be my favorite place to live, my favorite place I travelled to while studying abroad in Rome was Austria! My friends and I did the Sound of Music tour and had a lot of fun recreating our favorite scenes!
What are some of your best memories from Saint Mary’s?
Oh wow, there are so many! I had so many amazing experiences in Rome with the other Belles, like the tour in Salsburg and going to the top of St. Peters. Here in South Bend, though, my favorite memories include performing with the dance team and taking a trip to Chicago for the Christkindlmarket. I also really loved Junior Mom’s and Senior Dad’s weekends!
Is there anything you want to squeeze into your bucket list before you graduate?
To be honest, I haven’t thought about it too much because I can’t believe I’m leaving so soon! I wanted to do push ups at an ND game, which I did last weekend (thanks guys!) and participated in the marshmallow tradition. Now that football season is over, I’d love to go to another ND hockey game before the semester ends. Other than that, I’ll be ready to present my comp.
What is the most valuable lesson that you learned during your time at Saint Mary’s?
Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end. It’s so easy to get caught up comparing yourself to others, but that’s not really fair because we all experience different things. We all have individual talents and qualities that really have no comparison to anyone else. Enjoy the things that mean the most to you and be the person that you aspire to be for yourself, not for anyone else. That’s probably the one of the best things I’ve learned as a Belle.
Is there any room in your suitcase/airfare for me to tag along with you to London? ;)
Absolutely! Did you really think I’d leave without you?
Thanks, Stephanie! Stay cute ;)
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