Today@Sam Article

International Spotlight: Sara Pacifici

Oct. 29, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins

Sam Houston State University strives to serve as a beacon of light for students from all walks of life. Since the university’s impact reaches well beyond the confines of East Texas and the United States, fostering Bearkats across the globe while providing them a place to call home has always stood as a critical mission for the university.

“I had gotten used to being ‘the girl from Italy’,” said junior theater major Sara Pacifici, who first came to the U.S. as a high school exchange student in 2019. “It felt like people looked at me through different eyes. But since I’ve come to Sam, that has just been a fact about me, not my whole persona.”

When Pacifici first began her high school exchange program in Commerce, Texas, the 17-year-old’s aspirations did not include higher education. The Como, Italy native had always planned to enter the workforce immediately after earning her high school diploma.

“In Italy, there is still this idea of the American dream amongst teenagers because we don’t get all of those cool experiences in high school or college,” she said. “Our school system is about studying, and that’s about it. But here, you can also play sports, socialize and get to have fun. I wanted to experience that.”

Since students in Pacifici’s program did not choose their host families, fate took her to another world about an hour northwest of Dallas. The small-town, rural existence served as quite the contrast to Como’s urban atmosphere.

“I was totally out of place,” she said. “It was really hard to adjust to the fact that you had to sit in a car to go anywhere. I was used to either public transportation or walking, which aren’t really options here. Everything is so far apart and spread out.”

Another major culture shock for Pacifici was the way Americans approach meals. This went beyond just the types of food we consume and included portion sizes as well as the act of dining itself.

“In Italy, we had very structured meals. It is a moment of gathering with your family or friends,” Pacifici said. “Over here, you get yourself some food when you’re hungry and the only time you actually cook a lot of good stuff and sit down at the table together is at dinner.”

Despite some glaring differences, Pacifici immersed herself in the new culture and was able to explore her passions while reevaluating future goals. She went back to Italy after receiving her diploma but opted to return to Texas in 2021 to enroll in community college.

“I realized that I wanted to study theater, but I also have many different interests,” she said. “Back in Europe, you are more limited. When you go to college, you pick a major and that’s all you are going to study. Here, I learned that you can minor in things or double-major, which could further my education and curiosity in many different fields.”

While attending community college, one of her theater instructors happened to be a Sam Houston State alumnus. He knew how the department worked to attract open-minded, hands-on students with a variety of interests.

“He saw that I was a very dynamic person and thought I’d be a good fit,” Pacifici said. “I met with the department and faculty, who were eager to speak with me and were so welcoming that the decision was easy. I wanted the best I could possibly have.”

Entering her first semester at Sam, Pacifici knew she would major in theater and pursue psychology as a minor. Later, due to the hands-on guidance she received from Bearkat personnel like Undergraduate International Studies Advisor Lauren Hoanzl, she would add a second minor in human services.

“I’ve had some really great professors and advisors who feed off of my curiosity,” she said. “They aren’t just interested in my classes and getting me through the program, they actually care about what I want to do with my life, which has really helped me get on the right track.”

Pacifici has also found a community full of invaluable resources and support through SHSU’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), which offers guidance and fellowship for international students navigating higher education.

“It’s such a welcoming environment for all international students,” Pacifici said of the GEC and the university as a whole. “It can be scary to study abroad, but there are people here who are in the same situation as you.”

She is slated to graduate in the Spring of 2026, but Pacifici’s unique journey through Sam’s theater program and constant curiosity has helped ignite her passion for higher education. With dreams of becoming a drama therapist, she has her sights set on graduate school and earning a master’s degree.

“I would definitely like to stay in the States,” she said. “But my degree is so specific that I will likely branch out beyond Texas.”

Regardless of what the future holds, Pacifici personifies the endless possibilities that await international students at Sam Houston State. She encourages other international students to take the leap beyond their comfort zones in pursuit of their dreams.

“Don’t be afraid. It may seem weird at first, but eventually it will become your home,” Pacifici said. “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there or to try things you might not have in your home country.”

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