Sofia Monteleone, 20 years, Milan
Development Internship in Russia, Novosibirsk
August-September 2010

Responsibilities: "Modern Art Demonstration" project, organization of festival of Modern Art and International Culture.

"It’s hard to explain to others what my internship means for me. Even if it’s almost passed half-an-year, I constantly think about that experience and how proud and happy I am to have chosen AIESEC in order to live an International program.

Living for 7 weeks in such a different place like Russia totally changes my way of seeing the world around me. Siberia is totally different from Italy, but I understood that, besides of history, language and cultural differences, we have all the same feelings, wishes and thoughts.

When I went abroad I was just an Exchange Participant of AIESEC, with no experience in any team works or leadership positions. "Modern Art Demonstration" project gave me the chance to believe in myself and be proactive in everything I do. I became also more confident with my strengths and weaknesses. So my internship was mainly a challenge to develop myself.

"MAD" project was created to let grows the conception of art in Siberia and to create an international environment in the third city of Russia. Thus, "MAD" project was my challenge of cultural meeting in Novosibirsk, capital of Siberia, centre of the Russia, meeting point of European and Asiatic culture.

Thanks to my internship I can say to have extended my friends’ network and it’s not a matter of numbers but it means that I have friends around the world with whom I keep in touch almost everyday and I know that they stand by me in every moment. One by one, they gave me a little piece of their world and with all of them I’ve built mine.

Once, one of Russian AIESECers told me the sentence that, I guess, represents my internship the most: "Don’t be a quitter, than no matter what happens… believe in it and keep going on… the fruits always come at the end of the summer."

After my summer and my AIESEC experience in Russia, I can say that the fruits are born and I lived the best experience ever. Thank you, AIESEC!"