Gioia worked as an Experiential Learning Intern with the Earthwatch Institute in Boston, which is an international environmental non-profit that connects citizen scientist volunteers with field researchers to conduct research expeditions worldwide. Some of the trips offered included studying wildlife such as Argali sheep in Mongolia and tracking dolphins in Slovenia to create marine protected areas.
She also worked part-time at a boutique specializing in Italian ceramics. As she remarked, “both of my jobs complemented my academic work as a History and International Relations major, as well as my minors in Italian Studies and Management.” By taking courses to fulfill her Italian studies minor, Gioia was able to better grasp the uniqueness of the ceramics being exposed in the boutique by learning extensively about their background and history.
The experience at Earthwatch was very formative as it allowed her to see "how a non-profit business reconciles its involvement in eco-tourism while contributing to scientific research." Furthermore, the knowledge acquired from a political environmental perspective was very useful and helpful because, as Gioia said, "research has extensively contributed to political decisions."