Alumni Interview with Hayley Degrandchamp
Hayley Degrandchamp was student at FUA in the Spring of 2013. Originally from Michigan, she came to spend a semester in Florence and since that her life has changed. Hayley was interviewed by our Alumni Coordinator during the FUA Florence Alumni Week 2018.
Hayley, what have you been up to since you left Florence?
I graduated from college in 2014. Shortly afterward, I moved from my home state of Michigan to Boston, Massachusetts. I'm currently working at a marketing tech start-up as the office manager, though I also work alongside the marketing team. You could say I'm moving up the company in that way.
Why did you choose to study at FUA (and Italy/Florence in general)?
While looking at study abroad programs from my school, I knew I wanted to study business. Italy was at the top of my list because I had always wanted to explore my Italian heritage more. I had never explored myheritage despite it always having been a huge part of my life on my mom's side of the family. Ultimately, I really liked the idea of studying abroad in Florence because it's a big enough city to allow for a lot of exploration while not being as big as someplace such as Rome, which, in comparison, would have felt more overwhelming to live in. Florence is more attainable and cosy, in a way.
What did you do at FUA that helped you in your career and/or in your personal growth? In which way studying abroad (at FUA) changed your life/ professional path/career?
Studying at FUA totally changed my life. When I arrived at college, I tended to be friends with people who were only interested in partying and not so much in their growth as a young person, including professional development and personal betterment. So when arrived in Florence, I knew that I wanted to look for friends who were the opposite of that: who wanted to actually have a good experience abroad. I did that right away and everything fell into place: I came with a blank slate and focused entirely on gaining new experiences. It was life-changing for me to be able to learn as much as I could, to travel through Europe as much as I could, and to do it with my new friends. We still get together once every year!
Tell us about your favorite FUA memories?
I loved Ganzo!! I will never forget trying a pigeon dish there. My friend also had an art show that was exhibited in Ganzo; I thought it was really cool that they recognized students for that. I also had a wine tasting class which was really good. And all of the professors were really awesome.
What would you say to any students who are considering studying at FUA?
Have fun with it! I took some business classes because that aligned with my career interests, but feel free to take classes that challenge you in different ways. I took a wine class which was the perfect thing to do while here in Italy. I would definitely recommend taking classes you think would be fun and getting the most out of every experience while you can.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to start traveling again more. Eventually, I'd like to start my own business right now: I'm looking into real estate.
If you are interested in getting in touch with Hayley, please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
