Student turns education abroad experience into internship opportunity

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For fourth-year Penn State student Jenna Guarrera, studying abroad in France offered an opportunity to strengthen her language skills while experiencing daily life in the country she had spent years studying in the classroom.

By the end of the semester, the experience had done more than deepen her understanding of French language and culture. It also helped her secure a summer internship with a boutique branding agency.

Guarrera, who is double-majoring in French and francophone studies in the College of the Liberal Arts and advertising/public relations in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications with a psychology minor, spent the spring 2026 semester studying at the American College of the Mediterranean and Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France.

During the semester, the Monkton, Maryland, native completed coursework taught in French that focused on French cuisine, politics, culture and translation. She also studied media and conflict, as well as wine history, broadening her understanding of global issues while gaining firsthand experience with French culture.

“Studying abroad challenged me academically by pushing me to learn and communicate in French every day,” Guarrera said. “Taking courses fully or partially in French strengthened my comprehension, speaking and critical-thinking skills in a real-world setting.”

One of Guarrera’s most challenging academic experiences came through a research project for her French Society, Politics, and Culture course. Working in a group of three, she helped compare the French and American educational systems by creating surveys for French and American respondents, conducting interviews with French students, and facilitating a focus group with both French and American participants.

The project required the group to recruit participants, collect data, and present its findings to the class entirely in French.

“We didn’t know many French people when we got there, so finding participants was genuinely hard and pushed us way outside our comfort zones,” Guarrera said.

Outside the classroom, Guarrera embraced opportunities to explore Europe, traveling to 15 cities across seven countries during the semester. Those experiences exposed her to different cultures, languages and histories while helping her become more independent and adaptable.

One of Guarrera’s favorite aspects of living in Aix-en-Provence was becoming part of the local community. A flower market held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday just steps from her classes became a familiar part of her routine and offered a glimpse into everyday life in the city.

The experience also opened unexpected professional doors. While living in Aix-en-Provence, Guarrera connected with the owner of a boutique branding agency that works with founder-led brands in the fashion, beauty, wellness and lifestyle industries. After meeting for coffee several times, the agency created an internship opportunity for her.

This summer, Guarrera will serve as a marketing and social media intern with TMB Branding, where she will work on social media strategy, content creation, community management and brand storytelling.

The opportunity reinforced her interest in pursuing a career that combines her passion for advertising and French language and culture.

“I’d love to work in advertising or branding, ideally for French-speaking clients in the beauty or lifestyle space,” Guarrera said. “Whether that’s working internationally or with French-speaking organizations in the U.S., I want to find a role where my advertising background and my French actually work together.”

Guarrera said her time abroad also changed the way she thinks about communication and branding. She noticed the emphasis many French brands place on promoting products as “Made in France” and gained new perspectives on how culture influences marketing and consumer perceptions.

The experience was made possible in part through enrichment funding provided by the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. Guarrera said the College of the Liberal Arts also helped prepare her academically through coursework and faculty support that gave her the language foundation and cultural knowledge needed to succeed abroad.

Looking back, Guarrera said one lesson stands out above all others.

“The biggest lesson I learned is not to be scared to fail,” she said. “There were so many uncomfortable moments, from mispronouncing something in front of a native French speaker and pushing through a conversation where neither of you fully understood each other at first, to asking someone you just met to create an internship for you. But without these moments, I would not have grown and had the opportunities and knowledge that I have today.”