--- title: "Alumni Spotlight: International Affairs Major Chiara Marrocco (Class of 2018)" description: John Cabot University International Affairs alumna Chiara Marrocco reflects on her time at JCU image: https://blog.johncabot.edu/hubfs/thumbnail_IMG_2848.jpg --- [![JCULogo1](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/JCULogo1.png?width=300&height=80&name=JCULogo1.png "JCULogo1")](https://blog.johncabot.edu/blog?hsLang=en) [![JCULogo2](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/JCULogo2.png?width=300&height=82&name=JCULogo2.png "JCULogo2")](https://blog.johncabot.edu/blog?hsLang=en) - [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/undergraduate) - [Graduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/graduate) - [Study Abroad](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/study-abroad) - [Italian](https://blog.johncabot.edu/it/blog) - [Website](https://www.johncabot.edu/) - Filter By Topics - Scegli Il Topic # Alumni Spotlight: International Affairs Major Chiara Marrocco (Class of 2018) April 7, 2021 SHARE [mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/alumni-spotlight-international-affairs-major-chiara-marrocco-class-of-2018](mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/alumni-spotlight-international-affairs-major-chiara-marrocco-class-of-2018) ![](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hubfs/thumbnail_IMG_2848.jpg) SHARE [mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/alumni-spotlight-international-affairs-major-chiara-marrocco-class-of-2018](mailto:?body=https://blog.johncabot.edu/alumni-spotlight-international-affairs-major-chiara-marrocco-class-of-2018) ![John Cabot University](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hubfs/JCUCrestWhiteonBlue-1.jpg) Written By [John Cabot University](https://blog.johncabot.edu/author/jcuadmissions) Topic [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/undergraduate), [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/tag/student-spotlight) I decided to study at [John Cabot University](https://www.johncabot.edu/default.aspx) for many reasons. I graduated from high school when I was 17; I applied to universities abroad but did not feel ready to move yet. I was not sure what I should major in, so I applied to JCU as a communications major and marketing minor, but a few months later I was studying politics, history, and economics. I chose JCU because I liked having the opportunity to take different classes to help me decide which path to take. The idea of [taking entrepreneurship as a minor](https://www.johncabot.edu/business-administration/entrepreneurship-minor.aspx) came during my junior year while talking with [Professor Pulino](https://blog.johncabot.edu/faculty-in-the-spotlight-meet-professor-silvia-pulino?hsLang=en). I had always thought about creating my own brand and I really liked how the minor was shaped in order to gain the practical skills needed to be able to start a company. BUS305 was certainly the best class for helping me to understand what is involved in starting a company from scratch.  Life as a Gladiator was extremely active! I had the chance to study abroad in 2015 and 2016 and live in Madrid. I was part of the cheerleading team, I worked at many of the JCU open days, and I joined the conversation tables of French and Spanish every semester to practice my language skills. In 2016 and 2017 I was selected to work for Harvard World Model UN and for Berkley Model UN respectively. In Spring 2016, I organized a contemporary art exhibition around Guarini Campus as the final exam of AH271. In Fall 2016, I attended movie evenings organized by Professor Argentieri and joined him and other students in Budapest for events and lectures as part of celebrations for Hungarian National Day. I tried to attend as many events and talks as possible. [*Pizza and Politics*](https://www.johncabot.edu/student-life/student-activities/clubs/international-relations-society.aspx) was one of my favorite weekly events because it allowed students to discuss “hot topics'' with their peers and to learn a lot from guest lecturers. I will always remember the event organized for the US presidential election of 2016; we stayed up watching the polls at Tiber Cafe until 5am. ![The night I printed the dissertation for the senior seminar of international affairs](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/thumbnail_IMG_2907.jpg?width=276&name=thumbnail_IMG_2907.jpg)The diverse environment at JCU is extremely stimulating. I consider myself lucky to have met people from all over the world and to have discovered more about their cultures and backgrounds, which means that I also learned a lot outside of class. I will be forever grateful to JCU and its cosmopolitan community. At JCU, the professors want to hear student voices during class and I believe that the great relationship between professors and students is one of the main strengths of JCU. Three years after graduation I am glad I chose international affairs as my major. The class *American History of the 20th Century*, taught by Professor Lanzone, was probably the best history class I have ever taken and still helps me today when thinking about crises we are currently facing in Europe such as immigration. Professor Argentieri’s [class on the politics of developing countries](https://myjcu.johncabot.edu/syllabus/syllabus_print.aspx?IDS=15472) was also very useful and through Professor Scarpa’s class [*Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery*](https://myjcu.johncabot.edu/syllabus/syllabus_print.aspx?IDS=15305) I deepened my knowledge of human rights while focusing on many case studies. \`Professor Antonelli’s [*International Finance*](https://myjcu.johncabot.edu/syllabus/syllabus_print.aspx?IDS=15392)class has been very useful for my M.A. and made me see the Western world through a different lens and gave me the skills to analyse the growth of countries, essential for someone who wants to work in politics.  The class on *Diplomacy and the UN* made me realize what field I wanted to work in and made me think about interning (thanks to [JCU Career Services](https://www.johncabot.edu/career-services/default.aspx)) to the Consulate General of Peru in Rome to better understand the world of diplomacy and I ended up loving it. A guest lecture by the UK Ambassador to Italy, Jill Morris, who talked about her life as a diplomat, also really helped shaped my ideas about my future in diplomacy. After graduating in 2017 I moved to London to pursue an M.A. in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy at City University of London where I graduated with Merit in December 2019. Before graduating, I also worked at the Consulate General of Italy in London to make the Brexit transition period easier for Italian nationals, and at the outbreak of Covid-19 I worked on the repatriation of Italians living in the UK. I am now pursuing an Italian Masters (M.A. in Diplomatic Studies) at SIOI focusing on international law, Italian law, world history and international economics with the idea of eventually working as a diplomat for the Italian foreign service or in international institutions and consultancy.  I owe everything I am today to JCU; I learned to go beyond books and to say what I think without being scared of others’ opinions, but at the same time always listening to other people’s ideas. The best piece of advice I can give to new students is to not be shy, but to participate in everything that JCU organizes and to get engaged in class discussions. ![thumbnail_IMG_2921](https://blog.johncabot.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/thumbnail_IMG_2921.jpg?width=190&name=thumbnail_IMG_2921.jpg)  Chiara Marrocco, Class of 2018   Hometown: Rome, Italy   Major: International Affairs   Minor: Entrepreneurship   [Previous Post](https://blog.johncabot.edu/club-spotlight-meet-jcus-newspaper-club-the-matthew?hsLang=en) [View all posts](https://blog.johncabot.edu) [Next Post](https://blog.johncabot.edu/courses-you-can-take-while-you-study-psychology-in-italy?hsLang=en) ### Subscribe Here! ### Recommended Reading [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/undergraduate?hsLang=en) [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/student-spotlight?hsLang=en) ##### [10 Ways Studying at an American University in Rome Differs from College in the U.S.](https://blog.johncabot.edu/american-university-in-italy-vs-us?hsLang=en) By [John Cabot University](https://blog.johncabot.edu/author/jcuadmissions) / July 3, 2026 [Continue Reading](https://blog.johncabot.edu/american-university-in-italy-vs-us?hsLang=en) [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/undergraduate?hsLang=en) [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/student-spotlight?hsLang=en) ##### [Top 3 Student Clubs to Join at John Cabot University in Rome](https://blog.johncabot.edu/student-life-clubs-jcu-rome?hsLang=en) By [Elba Maria Peña](https://blog.johncabot.edu/author/elba-maria-peña) / May 8, 2026 [Continue Reading](https://blog.johncabot.edu/student-life-clubs-jcu-rome?hsLang=en) [Undergraduate](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/undergraduate?hsLang=en) [Student Spotlight](https://blog.johncabot.edu/topic/student-spotlight?hsLang=en) ##### [What Is It Like to Move Alone to Rome for University? 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