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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: PAIGE SHIPLETT

Each morning, Paige Shiplett wakes up and goes to classes, then walks two blocks to herinternship. It is a typical day for a college student, but for the next couple of months, Shiplett’s average day means waking up in Florence, Italy. Shiplett, a sophomore managerial marketing major, is currently studying abroad in the College of Business Administration’s Florence program and said she couldn’t be happier.

“Studying abroad for me is a dream come true, even if it sounds cliché,” Shiplett said. “KSU Florence provides us with field trips to places like Rome, Venice and Milan. On the weekends, I am able to travel to places I used to only imagine. I can actually say, ‘Oh, I am going to Paris that weekend, maybe Milan next?’ It amazes me that everything is only hours away from Florence.”

In addition to studying abroad, Shiplett also has an internship abroad. “The College of Business Administration emailed me about possibly doing an internship in Florence and I responded quickly,” Shiplett said. “I knew it would help me stand out when applying for jobs.”

Shiplett had the choice of three internships, but chose the marketing internship for LoveLife, a juice bar two blocks from KSU Florence. As part of her internship, she conducts market research by visiting competitors and creates market surveys to analyze satisfaction with the current business.

“I thought I would only be coming up with promotional ideas, but I’m responsible for planning marketing events targeting University of Florence students to sample LoveLife products and dishes,” Shiplett said.

She said the most important thing she has learned since she began her education abroad is to keep an open mind, investigate opportunities, look for new experiences and establish a network of international peers.

“I knew no one when I came here from ����ֱ�� State,” Shiplett said. “Now I’ve made friends from all over the world, sharing the same breathtaking experience of a semester abroad.”