When in Rome...

Marissa Jensen, age 21, is following her dreams, which have recently led her to Italy. Soon, Jensen’s parents, Neil and Becky Jensen, of Blooming Prairie, will embark on an adventure of their own. 
Marissa, a junior, is a student at Augustana University, where she’s pursuing a degree in elementary education. She’s currently studying abroad and is now in Italy. On Holy Thursday (March 24) her parents will also pay her a visit in Rome. The family hopes to witness the Stations of the Cross at the Coliseum, tour the Vatican and has also been granted three tickets for Easter Mass with the Pope. 
Becky said that, although the family has three tickets, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to attend the Mass, as the Mass is a “first come, first served” experience. Regardless, said Becky, she and Neil are still excited to visit with Marissa. 
“She’s got dreams,” said Becky. “She just goes for it and she’s very independent. She just loves life. When things don’t seem to be going right, she justlooks at the positive of things. It’s amazing.”
During her senior year of high school, Marissa took a trip with her Spanish class to London, Paris and Madrid. “That just kind of gave her a taste of traveling,” said Becky. 
Marissa knew she wanted to continue to see the world, and while in college, she also applied to study abroad. She worked four jobs to save money for the trip. She was a nanny for two families in Sioux Falls, is an Ulta beauty consultant and a member of the National Guard. 
“This has been the best experience of my life so far and I can’t wait for what is to come!” Marissa said. 
She first flew into London, where she stayed for three days before flying into Florence, where she stayed for about 2 ½ weeks. On Friday, she traveled to Rome. Marissa has also been taking as many excursions as possible, visiting places like Venice. 
“Next weekend I have a trip booked with my friends to go snowboarding the Swiss Alps in Interlaken, Switzerland,” Marissa said. “The following weekend, we planned a trip to Amsterdam. The weekend after that, I head to Sicily, and then the next weekend we are going to Naples and Pompeii. Some of these trips are through school and some we have planned ourselves.”
While abroad, Marissa is participating in a language emergent class, fashion merchandising class and a photography class. Since she is interested in fashion, Marissa has even had the opportunity to tour the Gucci headquarters. She’s especially excited to work in an elementary school, where she will teach English. 
Of course, Becky, Neil and Marissa’s sister, Macaela, miss her. But, this isn’t the first time that Marissa has been far from home. In addition to her previous travels overseas, she also went to basic training for several months during the summer of both her junior and senior years of high school. 
While she was in basic training, said Becky, communication with Marissa was also limited. “So, we’ve had that break, but it’s still hard,” admits Becky. We still worry.” 
Becky said that communication with Marissa has been “spotty” and depends heavily on her ability to get a good Wi-Fi signal. “We try to Face Time once a week, otherwise we do a text once in a while,” she said. “It helps just to see her once a week and know that she’s safe.” 
Becky is eager to travel, and especially looks forward to Mass with the Pope. “If we can get that all worked out, that will absolutely be a highlight,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to being able to see what Marissa talks about, being able to see her school and see her flat.” 
Most of all, however, Becky is just eager to see Marissa. And, said Becky, she’s excited to see how her daughter has grown during her travels. She hopes that this experience will help make the world seem smaller for Marissa, and that it will help her become even more confident as she continues to follow her dreams. 
“This was all on her own. She went after a goal and a dream,” said Becky. “It just says a lot about her. If she’s willing to work for it, it can be achieved.”