Ottavia Montingelli’s resume easily could be mistaken for the index to an atlas, given the number of cities listed in it.

London, Milan, Sydney, Boston and, of course, Los Angeles all have been home to Montingelli, a master’s candidate in global communication who is researching international distribution of television and movie content as part of an internship at NBC Universal.

“Living in new places really fosters adaptability,” she says. “It really makes you question yourself and reinvent yourself. It’s a constant challenge. It gets tiring, but it’s worth it. In terms of personal growth there’s nothing like it.”

The Italian-born Montingelli says she’s happy she decided to make USC Annenberg her latest place of residence.

“Coming here was like a rebirth in my interest in global media,” she says. “What I love about the global communication program is how different everyone is, and how varied their experiences are. They all know different languages and come from completely different backgrounds. It makes us a close-knit group.”