Amy Yu's Spotlight
Amy Yu
(she/her/hers)
About Amy
Amy is a fourth-year student at Penn State Berks majoring in Hospitality Management and minoring in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. In the summer of 2023, Amy studied abroad in Maastricht, the Netherlands and Florence, Italy through our Europe: Hospitality Management Studies in Europe (Summer) program.
Continue reading to learn more about Amy's highlights of her time abroad in her own words, why she chose her program, what surprised her about studying abroad, the lessons she took away, and her advice for students interested in studying abroad!
Amy viewing the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo behind the Duomo and historic city line in Florence, Italy
Amy posing in Maria's Cove in Cinque Terre, Italy
Amy posing in front of the Duomo while on a tour of Florence, Italy
Amy posing on top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France
Amy in an Italian cooking class at the Florence College of Hospitality
Amy posing in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy
Photo of Amy on a five (5)-mile hike through three (3) of the small towns in Cinque Terre, Italy
Amy's Education Abroad Experience
"I chose this program because it offered a wide range of many cities and countries that we would be visiting, and I wanted to travel as much as I could to learn about different cultures and cuisines. This program was also recommended by one of my favorite my professors who specifically teaches hospitality management, which is my major.
I took an Italian cooking class to learn how to make different pastas and sauces. My favorite sauce to make was Pesto because the ingredients were fresh and local. I also really enjoyed the river tours in Paris and Amsterdam. I was able to see the beautiful city architecture and street art.
It surprised me how much traveling we were doing. You had to be very flexible since every day there was something going on, and every weekend we were getting relocated. You had to learn things quickly and even though some were in culture shock, we had to adjust to all of the different cultures and languages we were experiencing.
The most important lesson I learned is that every culture has many differences but also many similarities. Cultural cuisines in Europe have many similarities to foods in other cultures. You also find similar values and morals in different cultures. In Europe, they value a strict work/ life balance, and I appreciate that greatly. The U.S. is moving towards this style a bit more.
My experiences abroad help my future aspirations because I want to open a multicultural restaurant. Learning about many different cultures, their cuisines, and the art behind it all helps me be well-rounded in food and culture. It also has helped me be more confident in myself and outgoing.
My advice to someone is to live life to the fullest. Take advantage of all these travel opportunities in college because some opportunities only come once in a lifetime. You may be scared, but it's okay because you can still do it. When you're in the moment having fun and learning new things, you'll forget about what you were even scared of in the first place. You'll be distracted by all the beauty around you."