Poole Class of 2021 Spotlight: Gabriella Imbasciani

Gabriella Imbasciani, business administration and international studies

As a Raleigh native, Gabriella Imbasciani always dreamed of going to NC State. She began her college career in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, where she elected to pursue a major in international studies with a concentration in global relations. During her first semester, she was hired for a work-study job at the university’s Passport Services office, which allowed her to begin getting involved in the NC State Global community – which would soon bring her to the Poole College of Management.

“The international studies major comes with a lot of flexibility and I found myself taking a lot of interesting political science courses, which helped spark my interest in foreign policy and affairs. I soon realized that I could easily add a minor and had many free electives to fill, so I added a Spanish minor and decided I wanted to put all of my electives towards a singular area of study,” Imbasciani says. “That decision led me to the Alexander Hamilton Scholars (AHS) program, a dual degree program for students majoring in international studies and either accounting, economics or business administration. 

Though she joined the AHS program later than most students – at the start of her junior year – Imbasciani found it to be an advantage.

“Because I started in the international studies major and had already met the requirements of reaching the 300-level of a language and studying abroad, I was able to focus my attention on my business administration classes and learn more about the Poole College of Management,” she says.

After Imbasciani’s first semester as a Hamilton Scholar, one of her advisors reached out to ask whether she’d consider taking on a leadership role. 

“I knew this would be a great opportunity to get more involved in Poole and gain essential leadership experience, so I became the vice president of AHS during the spring of my junior year. The president at the time was in the Global Ambassador program with me, so I built a strong relationship with him and learned the ins and outs of the program before he graduated that spring so that I was fully prepared to step into the role of president my senior year,” Imbasciani says. 

“Personally, the program helped me to strengthen my leadership and communication skills. When I stepped into the role of president, most of our executive team had just graduated so I worked hard to fill all vacant positions and meet individually with the new executive team to ensure I had established positive relationships with each of them and communicated well what their responsibilities would be for the school year,” she continues. “There is a lot gained from being involved in the AHS program. Each semester we offer social, service and professional development opportunities for scholars that allow them to engage with other highly motivated, like-minded scholars.”

Beyond developing close relationships with her fellow scholars, Imbasciani benefitted from getting to know advisors from each college – Dr. Seth Murray from CHASS and Robert Sandruck from Poole College. Sandruck, who also serves as the director of global programs for Poole College, played an instrumental role in encouraging Imbasciani’s participation in study abroad and global events on campus. 

Mr. Sandruck provided an immense amount of support during my time as vice president and president of AHS. We’ve built a great relationship over the past two years because he has given me the space and authority to make my own decisions regarding the program while assisting me with any challenges that have arisen along the way.

“Mr. Sandruck provided an immense amount of support during my time as vice president and president of AHS. We’ve built a great relationship over the past two years because he has given me the space and authority to make my own decisions regarding the program while assisting me with any challenges that have arisen along the way,” Imbasciani says. “Our relationship had the perfect balance and looking back on my time in the program, I feel that I wouldn’t have been able to become the leader I am today had it not been for his trust in my decisions and appreciation for all that I have done for the program.”

After graduation, Imbasciani plans to pursue a paid internship in Washington, D.C. with the federal government. The program was originally scheduled for summer 2020, but due to COVID-19, it was postponed to summer 2021. And while this next season of life may take her away from Raleigh, she hopes to not stay away for long.

“One of my favorite annual AHS events is the Alumni Panel. With the help of our advisors, our professional development chair reaches out to Hamilton Scholar alumni that are working in various positions and invites them to come to talk to current scholars about their current role and the lasting impact that AHS has had on them. It is always interesting to hear about where scholars work, how they got their job, how they stood out in their interviews and how AHS still affects them today,” Imbasciani says. “Many alumni have worked internationally and find that their global experiences at NC State were extremely beneficial in preparing them for a career abroad. I plan on staying connected by returning to NC State to talk to Hamilton Scholars about what post-graduation has been like for me and give them advice. I hope that talking to younger members can help them recognize the ongoing value of the program.”