Travel changes people, people change the world. This is our motto at EdOdyssey, and a concept that drives our work. In an ongoing interview series, we meet individuals whose study abroad experiences have shaped them professionally.

Meet Michelle Marieni, a bilingual OB/GYN in San Francisco, whose study abroad experience in Peru helped shape her career path and has continued to play a strong role in her life. Below, Michelle shares a few of the most powerful ways her semester abroad opened up professional opportunities, talks about the importance of language learning, and offers a few practical tips for students heading abroad now.

EDODYSSEY: When and where did you study abroad?
MICHELLE MARIENI: Lima, Peru in 2009

EDODYSSEY: Tell us a bit about yourself and your career path.
MM: I grew up in Massachusetts and attended the College of the Holy Cross for my undergraduate degree, majoring in Biology with a concentration in Latin American Studies. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Peru during my junior year, which was extremely formative for my life and career path thereafter. After graduating from Holy Cross, I taught high school Biology in the Washington, DC area through Teach for America for two years. I then attended medical school at Creighton University, residency in OB/GYN at the University of Massachusetts, and now I am a practicing OB/GYN physician in San Francisco. My husband and I recently had a lovely baby girl who will be turning one soon.

EDODYSSEY: Did your study abroad experience play a role in your career path or have an impact on you professionally? If so, how so? Share an example.
MM: My study abroad experience shaped my life and career path in many ways. Living in Lima and immersing myself in daily life there opened my eyes to the beauty of cultural diversity and definitely broadened my horizons. I was able to immerse myself by living with a host family, making friends with local students, and getting involved on campus by joining a campus choir and volunteering with a local hospital. I was also able to become fluent in Spanish, which has allowed me to connect with my patients on a different level. Over 50% of my current patient population speaks Spanish, and I am a Qualified Bilingual Provider so am able to communicate with my patients in their preferred language to allow them to feel more comfortable in the healthcare setting.

EDODYSSEY: If you agree that it is, why is study abroad important on a professional level?
MM: Learning another language is extremely beneficial on a professional level. Studying abroad broadens your culture awareness and worldview, which is also important and has helped me to have a deeper appreciation for the diverse backgrounds of my patients.

EDODYSSEY: Did you gain any unexpected skills or knowledge during your time abroad that you now find invaluable in your career?
MM: Broadened perspective of the richness of cultural diversity in our world. A deeper understanding of the challenges and adversity faced by marginalized populations. A stronger sense of adventure as well as confidence and independence.

EDODYSSEY: Were there any challenges you faced during your study abroad experience that later helped you professionally?
MM: Trusting my judgment and developing a sense of confidence and independence was important. I had not previously lived in a big city before or lived on my own outside of college dorms. While at first navigating the big city of Lima seemed a bit overwhelming, I quickly came to develop a community there between the other study abroad students, my host family, and Peruvian friends. I realized that you learn so much from putting yourself in new situations and seizing new opportunities. This translated into my professional career and helped give me the confidence to embrace new and unfamiliar opportunities.

EDODYSSEY: What specific aspects of your study abroad experience were most impactful in your career?
MM: Language acquisition was extremely helpful in both my personal and professional life. I use Spanish every day working with patients as an OB/GYN in San Francisco. Connecting with patients in their native language often helps them feel more comfortable and better understood. I also use Spanish at home, as my husband's family primarily prefers to speak in Spanish, and we are raising my daughter to be bilingual.

Cultural immersion through study abroad was also helpful in experiencing a culture so different from my own, it helped me to appreciate the richness of cultural diversity in my patient population.

EDODYSSEY: Have you found that employers value or take interest in study abroad when spotted on a resume? If so, what questions do they ask?
MM: I have found during medical school and residency applications and then in my job search, studying abroad was a definite advantage. Language acquisition alone is a huge advantage. The cultural competency and global worldview gained from study abroad are also huge advantages for a resume.

EDODYSSEY: Can you recommend any strategies for students to translate the personal growth they experience abroad into professional growth?
MM: For me, studying abroad ignited a passion and commitment to working with underserved populations and working toward health equity and social justice in medicine.

I recommend getting involved in your community and getting to know your community while studying abroad. Be in tune with your interests and passions, which can help shape your career goals. Be open to change and to trying new things!

EDODYSSEY: What tips would you give current and future study abroad students for making the most of their experience professionally?
MM: Focus on fully immersing yourself in your study abroad experience. Make friends with local students. Try new things! If you are living with a host family, get to know them and their traditions. While traveling and seeing other parts of the country(s) is important and often awe-inspiring, you can sometimes learn the most from daily life getting to know the people and traditions of the location where you are placed. You will most definitely be changed by your experience, and you can use this change to guide or re-define your personal and professional goals. Get involved on campus whether through joining a club, playing a sport, or volunteering. 

Thank you, Michelle!