A group of St. Bonaventure University students who are studying at Sant鈥橝nna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, had the opportunity to be addressed by members of the Naples-based U.S. Consulate.
By Liam McGurl
A group of St. Bonaventure University students who are studying at Sant鈥橝nna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, had the opportunity to be addressed by members of the Naples-based U.S. Consulate.
Made possible through the coordination of St. Bonaventure alumna Mary Jo
Polidore, 鈥78, this panel-style lecture at the institute featured Patrick Horne, Joshua Lawrence and Payton Gannon 鈥 members of the foreign service鈥檚 political, economic and commercial section.
Programming began with an informal meet-and-greet breakfast in order for students to familiarize themselves with the visiting members. Sorrento Program Director Anna Bulszewicz kicked off the formal lecture with an introduction of the panelists and Sant鈥橝nna
Institute President Cristiana Panicco, who offered student attendees a warm welcome to the Amalfi Coast.
鈥淢y hope today, tomorrow and for the rest of your lives is to be open, look at the world as different 鈥 but look without judgment,鈥 Panicco said. 鈥淲hat is different is not bad all the time.鈥
Much of the formal lecture surrounded the state department鈥檚 main roles in maintaining healthy relations between the United States and Italy.
鈥淭he No. 1 duty of any diplomats, whether in embassies or consulates, is protecting Americans,鈥 Horne said. 鈥淧rotecting American business interests is No. 2.鈥
Some of the Consulate鈥檚 more specific work involves ensuring American
citizens have access to adequate healthcare while abroad, tracking immigration trends and intervening when American businesses are treated unfairly.
Given St. Bonaventure鈥檚 academic focus on international politics and digital media while at Sant鈥橝nna Institute, the panel discussed how new, digital trends have changed the way the state department operates.
鈥淓specially when it comes to raising awareness about social issues, such as LGBT month, or a lot of the social policies that America is trying to advance, or just talking about some of the good projects that we鈥檙e involved with 鈥 there鈥檚
nothing better than social media for getting that word out,鈥 Horne said, regarding how some social media trends benefit the Consulate.
Cori Fagan, 鈥17, a graduate student at St. Bonaventure, said the lecture was engaging, particularly because of her academic background.
鈥淭he portion of the lecture where the Consulate members discussed imports and exports was fascinating to me,鈥 said Fagan. 鈥淚n the school counseling program at St. Bonaventure, we don鈥檛 discuss international relations in business,
but more so general cultural differences, so it was interesting to get that perspective.鈥
The day鈥檚 programming ended with an off-site lunch for Sant鈥橝nna Institute faculty, student attendees and the panelists.
For more photos and videos, follow the Sorrento Study Abroad Program on Instagram @studysorrentosbu.
A photographer and communications specialist, Liam McGurl holds a master鈥檚 degree in integrated marketing communications from St. Bonaventure. He is spending the summer at Sant鈥橝nna Institute as an assistant director to his alma matter鈥檚 study abroad program in Sorrento.
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