
My name is Marnique Olivieri-Panepento, an American journalist who studies at St. Bonaventure University in New York State, and is now a summer intern at Positanonews. I heard about studying abroad in Sorrento, Italy my freshman year of college, and finally had the chance to travel and live here right before I start my senior year of college. In order to graduate from my university, internship hours are crucial. I searched and searched for the right internship for myself and was unsure which was the right choice. I made the right decision with Positanonews through Sant’Anna Institute. It was quite intimidating to make the decision to intern abroad, but at the same time, very exhilarating.
July 5 is a day I will always remember. This day marked my first day working as an intern at Positanonews. For months, I didn’t know what to expect, but the people I spoke with and what I saw exceeded my expectations. In short, journalism empowers all sorts of explorations. I experienced new places, new people and a new culture on Tuesday. I walked the streets of Corso Italia and Via Ponte Vecchio and overlooked the Ponte Orazio in Piano di Sorrento. These are all opportunities I could’ve missed out on if I never searched for this internship specifically. I owe it all to journalism, which has taught me to be ethical and detailed-oriented. The world needs more storytellers who act with integrity. I’m very blessed to be a part of such an amazing online newspaper. The staff welcomed my classmate and me, made us feel part of the community and shared their love for journalism with us. We also visited Gran Caffe Marianiello Ristorante and a family-run farm that originated in 1912. Everything in Piano di Sorrento is not only beautiful but comes with amazing stories and histories. The first day taught me how to observe cultural differences and how the journalistic process works in Italy.
I cannot wait to learn more about Piano di Sorrento and learn from Positanonews.