“The biggest value add I gained from this experience was a new sense of independence. Our cohort had varying work schedules which meant that there were some days I was by myself and had to learn to independently be comfortable exploring new areas and cities,” shared Alexandra Radoumis-Weiler, a marketing major on the Fisher Global Consulting: Corporate, Ireland program.
Radoumis-Weiler and a group of other Fisher College of Business students worked with Examinaite, an artificial intelligence exam prep company, where they prepared an in-depth marketing plan. For Radoumis-Weiler, a student employee of the Office of Global Business, she saw other students’ study abroad journeys and wanted to get involved for herself.
“Every day I hear from students about the amazing experiences and skills they learn from being abroad and how they have transferred it to their current workplace and have opened up endless job opportunities for them here in the states. I also have always wanted to go to Ireland and explore the endless nature and gorgeous landscapes, so this seemed like the perfect program!”
The group learned several valuable skills both inside and outside the workplace, including advocating for themselves, time management and how to live and work in an international business setting.
“One of the most important things I learned from this program was the importance to speak up for yourself, especially in the workplace,” reflected Radoumis-Weiler. “I also learned the importance of money management. When travelling to a new country, it's hard to gauge how much money you will be spending on a daily basis for food and activities, so one lesson I learned for future travels is having a daily budget to ensure that you never spend more than you're comfortable with.”
The most memorable moments for Radoumis-Weiler were spending time with her cohort, highlighted by an especially fun day of traversing the island.
“One of my favorite days was the first day our cohort got to spend all together. We started the day with a walking tour of Dublin arranged by our in-country provider, then went to have lunch at a place that boasted the "best pizza in Europe." We then hopped on a bus to go to Howth, a small beachside town about 30 minutes north of Dublin. We went on a 3-hour hike where we really got to bond and get to know our group, and it set us up very well for an incredible program. Overall, I believe that programs like this are so important to an undergraduate experience and that if you have the chance, do it.”