Spotlight: Graduating Study Abroad Intern Kitzan Rivas
Kitzan Rivas is a graduating senior at the University of Arizona, earning her degree in Psychology with a 4.0 GPA. For the past two years, she has been an integral part of the Study Abroad team, serving as a Marketing and Communications Intern. Before she wraps up her time at the U of A, we asked Kitzan some questions to reflect on her experience:
Why did you choose the University of Arizona?
“It was close to home. I was born in Mission Viejo, California, but my parents moved to Tucson when I was really young, so I've always considered Tucson to be my home. I also got good scholarships, and I didn't really want to leave or be away from my family.”
How would you describe yourself?
“I can be very talkative and a bit outgoing. I do consider myself a very artsy and creative person. I like to dye my hair almost every month and every season. I don't know; I like to try new things and just put myself out there.”
How did this role help you with your future career goals?
“I think psychology is such a broad major especially when you're with people. There's this thing that I've known and in fact, recently learned more about marketing psychology, which is all about human behaviors and being able to understand all that to make your marketing strategies work. So, I feel like it's tied together. I never really imagined that I would connect my major to my career in the future. I picked psychology because I wanted to be a counselor or a therapist, which I am still considering, but maybe also working in marketing. It definitely ties in together. You have to know people and understand them, how they work, and all that. So it's pretty linked together.”
What are your plans for after graduation?
“I'm actually studying abroad right after college because I didn't get to during my years here and I was really regretting it. I talked to my coworkers, and obviously, they were always trying to push me to study abroad, especially since I work here. So I was able to do a thematic minor. I'm able to study abroad in the summer in Seoul. But then, after that, I want to get a job in either marketing or something related to international or global marketing. I'm also considering graduate school.”
What was your favorite part about attending the University of Arizona?
“My favorite part was getting to work at the Study Abroad office because I made a lot of connections and friendships, and it was just really fun working there. I would also say I really loved my major and a lot of the professors in the psychology department were really good teachers. It was very enjoyable to have psychology as a major.”
What was your favorite part about being an intern at the Study Abroad office?
“I'm very passionate about global travel and anything international, but the people there are just amazing. My supervisors are amazing. Because of them, I was able to expand my skills and make a lot of friendships there. I met many amazing people I want to keep for a lifetime.”
Any final thoughts?
“My gratitude to the international and study abroad team, everybody there, because they really made my whole college experience enjoyable and helped me discover my passions and what I want to do with my life. So I'm very thankful for them. I'm very thankful for having worked here.”