Finding confidence and direction through new experiences
As Putney Student Travel celebrates 75 years, we’re highlighting the voices of students whose summers helped shape how they see the world. Chloe Martinez first joined Putney in high school, participating in a Sports Management program in Barcelona and later an Oxford Academia program in Paris. Today, she studies public relations with minors in Spanish and sports management.
Chloe first discovered Putney while searching for opportunities that would allow her to explore future academic interests. What she found ended up influencing far more than just a summer.
“I can’t think of a trip that has changed my life more, honestly,” she says. “If I hadn’t gone on it, I don’t know if I would be where I am today or studying what I’m studying.”
On her Sports Management program in Barcelona, Chloe had the chance to explore the business side of the sports world, something she hadn’t previously considered.
“Originally the only real career path I saw was journalism or broadcasting,” she explains. “Going in and seeing the business side of it instead of the media side really opened up doors. It showed me there were so many more opportunities in the industry.”
The experience also pushed Chloe out of her comfort zone. As the only girl on the program, she found herself learning quickly how to speak up, connect with others, and trust her own abilities.
“I had to branch out,” she says. “I couldn’t be that shy girl anymore. I wanted to talk to everyone and get to know a little bit about everybody. That helped me gain confidence that I still carry with me now.”
Today, that confidence plays a major role in her studies and career goals.
“Public relations is such a connections-based field,” she explains. “You have to go out and talk to people. Barcelona helped me realize that I could do that.”
Chloe later returned for an Oxford Academia program in Paris, where she studied business and history while exploring the city and meeting students who shared her curiosity about the world.
“I think that program shaped more of my worldview,” she says. “I’ve always loved to travel, and learning about business in an international setting was really eye-opening.”
Looking back, Chloe sees both experiences as important steps in discovering who she wanted to become and building the confidence to pursue it.
Her advice to students considering a Putney program is simple:
“Do it. Learn to say yes to things now and take the risk. You never know what you might get out of it.”
“These are the programs you talk about for years to come,” she adds. “It’s your story to tell, and your story to find.”
