FSU students Aman Myrsten, Mia Hicks, Carissa Tse and John Jimenez participated in international experiential learning opportunities within the last year.
At Florida State University, learning extends beyond the classroom, with international experiences bringing academics to life on a global stage.
Through international internships and other hands-on experiences, students gain practical skills, strengthen cultural competency and expand their worldview. These opportunities offer a powerful pathway for both personal and professional growth. Programs offered through the FSU Career Center, International Programs and other campus partners are just a few ways students can access opportunities tailored to their academic and career interests.
For many, these experiences are defining moments. Across industries and continents, the following FSU students have built confidence, grown professional networks and discovered clarity in their career paths through international experiential learning.
Aman Myrsten, France
Aman Myrsten, a junior double majoring in French and sociology, spent eight and a half weeks in Aix-en-Provence, France, interning with a local nonprofit through CEA CAPA Education Abroad, a leading provider of international study and internship programs.
Having previously spent the Summer 2024 semester in France through FSU’s Intensive French Program in Paris, Myrsten wanted to deepen her language skills and cultural understanding. In Aix-en-Provence, a city in southern France just north of Marseille, sheworked full time with Le Relais des Possibles, a nonprofit supporting women’s rights and domestic violence prevention.
Aman Myrsten, an FSU junior double majoring in French and Sociology, spent eight and a half weeks interning in Aix-en-Provence, France. (Aman Myrsten)
“Doing an international internship felt like it would be a great continuation [of my studies]— something that would be good for my resume and an incredible learning experience overall,” Myrsten said.
CEA (Cultural Experiences Abroad) was originally founded as a study abroad organization for university students, and CAPA (The Global Education Network) is a provider focusing on global education and internships. Together, they merged to form CEA CAPAEducation Abroad, offering a combined 75 years of experience in creating academic, career and internship programs abroad.
Aman Myrsten, an FSU junior double majoring in French and Sociology, at the Hungarian Parliament Building during a weekend trip to Budapest, Hungary. (Aman Myrsten)
Through CEA CAPA, students can participate in various internships in eleven different cities across Europe and Australia, providing placements in a variety of fields from urban planning to fashion.
In her role as an advocacy and cultural development intern, Myrsten ran workshops for mothers escaping domestic violence and delivered community outreach in underdeveloped neighborhoods. She also took a six-credit International Internship course at InstitutAmericain Universitaire (IAU), an American style university that partners with CEA CAPA and acts as a host institution for CEA CAPA internship and study abroad students.
“I just found a lot of fulfillment in my job, and that’s something that I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to find in many settings,” Myrsten said.
Mia Hicks, Semester at Sea
Mia Hicks, a senior majoring in Finance, spent spring 2025 traveling the world through Semester at Sea, a study abroad program where students live and attend classes on a ship, traveling to various continents and participating in immersive cultural learning.
Aboard the MV World Odyssey, Hicks traveled with 500 classmates to 13 countries in less than five months while taking courses ranging from psychology to international issues in recreation and tourism. While it’s not an internship, Semester at Sea gives students the unique opportunity to merge academic studies with hands on cultural experiences, demonstrating the power of immersive international learning.
Mia Hicks, an FSU senior majoring in Finance, on a safari while studying abroad through Semester at Sea during the spring 2025 term. (Mia Hicks)Mia Hicks, a senior at FSU majoring in Finance, with fellow students and a local tribe while studying abroad through Semester at Sea during the spring 2025 term. (Mia Hicks)
“Semester at Sea is an experience you can only truly understand once you live it,” she said. “You’ll make lifelong friends, gain a deeper appreciation for the world, and grow into a more well-rounded, globally minded individual — all while having the adventure of a lifetime.”
At each port, Hicks and her classmates participated in program excursions, field classes and sometimes individual travel plans. Through these experiences, participants were able to explore new destinations, meet with local experts and organizations and apply newly learned course concepts.
Mia Hicks, an FSU senior majoring in Finance, in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, while studying abroad with Semester at Sea during the spring 2025 term. (Mia Hicks)FSU senior Mia Hicks explores the desert on camelback during her spring 2025 study abroad experience with Semester at Sea. (Mia Hicks)
“I now see the world through the eyes of the many people I met along my journey,” Hicks said. “I recognize the beauty in differences and the importance of understanding multiple sides to every story. Above all, I carry a deep sense of gratitude for the life I live and the places I’ve been fortunate to experience.”
Carissa Tse, London
Carissa Tse, a senior majoring in public relations and international affairs, spent six weeks working full time in London last summer through FSU’s International Programs.
Internships offered through International Programs allow students to gain meaningful professional experience while living in an international setting. Once accepted into the program, International Programs staff members tailor internship placements based on each student’s individual experience, interest and goals. Placements and requirements vary by study center, with locations like Valencia and Florence requiring certain language skills.
From May to June of 2025, Tse interned at WildKat PR, an entertainment public relations company that specializes in performing arts. Throughout her internship, Tse worked on the accounts of several clients to draft and pitch press releases, write fact sheets, create media lists and more. She also collaborated with UK press and radio stations to communicate the latest music releases, tours and events.
Carissa Tse, an FSU senior majoring in Public Relations and International Affairs, visits the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, as part of her internship. (Carissa Tse) FSU senior Carissa Tse at Greenwich Park in London with four FSU London students during her summer 2025 internship abroad program. (Carissa Tse)
“I found the experience of getting out of my comfort zone at home and interacting with people and cultures that I was unfamiliar with so humanizing, and I miss it every day,” Tse said. “The confidence I have in myself and my skills is truly reflective of my time abroad. I feel very well-spoken and grounded in who I am.”
During the fall and spring semesters, London interns are required to take six credit hours of in-person coursework through the FSU London Study Centre. In addition to classes, students may intern for up to 20 hours per week, earning six more credit hours. Summer interns work full-time for six weeks before completing a two-week follow-up course at FSU London to help them reflect on and contextualize their professional experience.
“The professional development course that was tied with my internship truly taught me to understand how to articulate the value of my internship both personally and professionally,” Tse said.
John Jimenez, Spain
John Jimenez, a senior studying information technology, spent the fall 2025 semester taking classes at the FSU Valencia Study Center and interning with Kenus Informática S.L., a local IT services company. As an intern, he primarily worked on supporting the company’s preparation for Spain’s Esquema Nacional de Seguridad (ENS) certification, a mandatory legal framework that sets cybersecurity standards, policies and control measures for all public sector entities and their technology providers in Spain.
Jimenez also assisted with compliance documentation, risk assessments and the development of internal security and privacy guides. He also collaborated with the systems team to translate complex technical and regulatory requirements into clear documentation in both Spanish and English.
“Learning Spain’s Esquema Nacional de Seguridad instead of U.S.-based frameworks exposed me to an entirely different regulatory structure, something I would not have been able to learn in a domestic internship,” Jimenez said. “This experience strengthened my technical writing skills, attention to detail and adaptability in unfamiliar regulatory environments.”
Internships through the Valencia Study Center are part-time, with students working 18-22 hours per week. In addition to their internship, students are required to enroll in two academic courses during their time at the study center. Interns are required to have intermediate Spanish competency, which can be demonstrated by the enrollment or completion of SPN 2240 or equivalent, or by testing to the level of SPN 2240 on the Modern Languages’ placement test.
“My experience with International Programs was very positive,” Jimenez said. “The team provided clear guidance and consistent support throughout the process, from pre-departure preparation to ensuring academic requirements were met. Their structure and support made it easy to focus on professional growth once I arrived in Valencia.”
Professionally, Jimenez’s semester in Spain strengthened his knowledge of cybersecurity and compliance while reinforcing his confidence in applying those skills in a global context.
“Being open to learning, asking questions and embracing unfamiliar systems and cultures can lead to professional and personal growth that is difficult to replicate at home,” Jimenez said.
For more information about international internships and experiential learning opportunities, visit career.fsu.edu. To learn more about international internship opportunities through International Programs, visit international.fsu.edu. For more about FSU’s global footprint, visit global.fsu.edu.