For the next in our series spotlighting our amazing alumni, we caught up with Daria Frayman, who graduated from Princeton last May with a major in psychology and an Italian certificate. After Princeton, where she played for the women’s tennis team, Daria decided to pursue her childhood dream of playing professional tennis. "Currently," says Daria, "I am traveling all over the world participating in international events. My world ranking is 735 right now and it is a long way to the top! But I’m grateful to have had the amazing experience at Princeton which taught me resilience, patience and dedication."

Read on for more about how Daria's Italian journey continues to help her tennis career!

Why did you decide to join FIT as an undergraduate?

I had lived in Italy for quite some time before coming to Princeton (Italy was my tennis training base). I connected with people really well and I was eager to learn about Italy’s culture and to improve my grammar and vocabulary. 

How did your FIT experience shape your career trajectory and the way you perform your job today?

My FIT experience was one of my favorite parts about Princeton. I managed to take Italian classes every semester and I was always incredibly excited and involved. I loved all the professors, the topics that we covered, the atmosphere in the classes. And, of course, I loved to speak the language. Today, I am a full-time professional tennis player and I chose Milan, Italy to be my training base. I communicate in fluent Italian with all the coaches, players and people I interact with in Milan. I often get compliments about how clean my Italian speech is and how well I can use the grammar!

What would you say to an undergraduate who is considering a concentration or minor in FIT?

To an undergraduate considering FIT as a concentration or minor, I would say the best things about the department. The dedication and kindness of all the professors is truly incredible. They want not only to push you as a student to learn more, but also to make their classes interesting, engaging and fun. They are very responsive and helpful when it comes to writing papers, doing assignments or simply talking. I have nothing but the most positive feelings from being part of the Italian department. 

Do you have a favorite memory or anecdote from your time in the department?

One of the best and funniest memories was probably from my first semester when I decided to take a film class with Elisa Dossena. We had to film our own movie with two other students and we spent the entire week going to different places on campus, brainstorming how to make the film funny and interesting and, most importantly, laughing a lot! I still watch it sometimes and it always brings a big smile to my face.