My name is Daniela Movileanu. I am a 22-year-old Italian and Romanian student at John Cabot University. I am currently majoring in International Affairs with a minor in Philosophy. Now that my graduation is approaching next month, I can look back at the three years spent at John Cabot and realize how many learning experiences my university has offered to me.
Since my first year, I have been introduced to the professional world through the university’s Center for Career Services. Thanks to them, I obtained an internship at the US Embassy to Italy. Meanwhile, hearing the stories of many students and professors, I felt encouraged to continue my studies after John Cabot in an international environment. Most importantly, however, since my first semester I have had the opportunity to share my passion for chess and start a Chess Club.
Clubs are the most effective way of creating a sense of community among students and engaging in extracurricular activities. When I came to John Cabot, I found very few people who played chess, and no chess event had ever been organized on campus. As the then-women’s Italian chess champion, I asked for information about opening a new club and received support from Student Services in going through the necessary steps. By the beginning of my second semester, the newly-founded Chess Club was already up and running. Since then, we have organized online problem-solving competitions, a lecture on chess and human creativity, and a chess tournament open to both John Cabot and non-John Cabot members. In addition, we regularly meet every week to play and study chess. Being involved so much in a club allowed me not only to acclimate to a new environment, but also to develop organizational and teamwork skills which I am sure will benefit me in my professional career.
My advice to prospective John Cabot students is to get immediately involved in at least one of the many clubs of the university, or even to found a club yourselves. By participating in a club's weekly meetings and events, even very shy people like me can connect to other students and feel comfortable at the university.
Daniela Movileanu
Class of 2019
Major in International Affairs, Minor in Philosophy
Hometown: Rome, Italy
