Undergraduates Abroad: Three MI Student Stories

For Medieval Institute students, learning opportunities don’t stop during the summer. Supported by a network of Notre Dame centers, institutes, and Global Gateways, students have many terrific options for research, language learning, and professional development. This past summer, three talented Medieval Institute undergraduates undertook diverse positions and projects.

David Moses ('20)

David Moses ('20), minoring in Medieval Studies (among other fields) and majoring in History, spent his summer engaged in civil service as a public relations intern for the city of South Bend.

Harriet Fink ('19) on site in Ireland

Harriet Fink ('19) graduated in May with her B.A. as a major in Medieval Studies with honors. This past summer, she interned at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) in Dublin as a researcher for the upcoming exhibit on the Irish poet and writer, Brendan Behan, as part of her intended career path seeking employment in the Arts and Museum Industries.

For Beatrice Hall (’20), the summer of 2019 included research, language training, and exploration, and she shared some reflections with us about her experiences. 

She spent the season in Rome working as an intern at the Case Romane del Celio, a public museum, where she led tours for English-speaking visitors. During her free time, Beatrice had the opportunity to explore the city of Rome and other parts of Italy.

I was inspired by the motto of the College of Arts and Letters: “Study everything. Do anything.” I decided that doing anything would be the way that I studied everything. I took any adventure that came my way.

As a Medieval Studies major with a supplementary major in Italian Studies, Beatrice found herself well prepared for the summer by her time at Notre Dame. According to Beatrice, “without a doubt, my Notre Dame education enriched my experience of Italy. Had I not taken several excellent medieval and renaissance art history courses, my time in Ravenna, Venice, and Rome itself would have been far less exciting. More importantly, however, I was inspired by the motto of the College of Arts and Letters: “Study everything. Do anything.” I decided that doing anything would be the way that I studied everything. I took any adventure that came my way, which is how I encountered medieval mosaics, renaissance fountains, and Italian friends who told me what it's like to live in modern-day Rome.”

Beatrice Hall ('20) at the Basilica of Saints John and Paul on the Caelian Hill in Rome

While Notre Dame helped prepare Beatrice for her experience this summer, Beatrice has also found that this season's work will help prepare her to meet her future career goals. Says Beatrice, “after this summer, I have proficiency in Italian (which I hope will be a door to future language learning), a desire to return to Italy (which I hope will be an excuse for future world traveling), and a passion for history (which I hope will turn into a career). I also have a newfound commitment to embracing adventure for the sake of learning everything.”

Want to learn more? Check out our Research and Internships and Careers pages.