Clarity on my Interests + Career Aspirations
One of the biggest takeaways from this semester was that I found so much more clarity about my interests and future career aspirations. Like I've mentioned in previous blogs, every semester in the IBEA program includes an international consulting project. This semester, I genuinely loved my project and all of my classes. I left Singapore feeling more confident than ever about what kinds of work excite me and where I could see myself in the future.
I attended ESSEC Business School Asia-Pacific Campus, which happens to be a private French business school. One of my favorite things about it was how small it was. Most of my classes had around 20 students, and there were only about 50 to 70 students that we interacted with on a regular basis. It was mainly my program of 35 students, three exchange students, and about 30 to 40 eighth-semester students from France, so we all got to know each other really well.
I loved the way the classes were structured. Attendance was required, and you could only miss one class in each course before it affected your grade. There wasn't any busywork homework. Instead, everything revolved around discussions, presentations, projects, and collaborating with classmates. Because of the smaller class sizes, we got to know our professors well and had lots of opportunities to ask questions and have conversations during class.
Throughout the semester, I took Strategic Management, Entrepreneurial Marketing, Digital Marketing That Works, Asian Culture & Society, Asian Company Challenge, Political Economy Through the Lens of Film, and Mandarin. Every class challenged me in a different way and gave me a new perspective on business, culture, and the world around me.
Classes That Shaped My Interests
One thing that surprised me was how much I enjoyed Strategic Management. I've always doubted whether consulting is something I would actually enjoy long-term, but I ended up scoring in the top 20% on the final exam for what was probably my most challenging course of the semester. It gave me a lot more confidence in my abilities and reminded me that sometimes I underestimate myself.
Entrepreneurial Marketing ended up being one of my favorite classes. My dad and I have an Amazon business, and we're currently working on launching our own sight word products for teachers. Since we've been trying to grow that brand, I found myself constantly connecting what I was learning in class to what we're building back home.
Through that class and my consulting projects over the past few semesters, I've realized that I really enjoy working with startups. I love thinking about how companies can grow, reach new customers, and tell their story. We also had several guest speakers who had founded their own startups, and our professor dedicated an entire class to sharing the businesses he had started throughout his career. Hearing their stories made entrepreneurship feel so much more attainable and motivated me to keep pursuing it myself.
Digital Marketing That Works was another class that completely changed the way I think about business. I learned so much about how marketing has evolved, how consumers interact with brands online, and just how powerful social media has become. I was especially fascinated by all of the statistics surrounding YouTube and how every generation continues to use it. That class made me realize that marketing is something I genuinely enjoy and could really see myself doing in the future.
Political Economy Through the Lens of Film was probably one of the most unique classes I've ever taken. Every week we studied a different political issue or region of the world through the lens of a film. We gave multiple presentations and even created our own short film at the end of the semester. Since I was the only American in the class, I often found myself sharing the American perspective during discussions, which was both challenging and really rewarding. I realized how much I enjoy representing my country while also learning how people from other parts of the world think about the same issues.
The Asian Company Challenge
One of the highlights of my semester was participating in the Asian Company Challenge, where my team completed an international consulting project for Tanishq, India's leading jewelry brand and part of the Tata Group. I served as our team's Client Liaison while also helping with market and consumer research. Throughout the project, I learned so much about client communication, consumer insights, strategic thinking, and working on an international team with people from different backgrounds. It was one of my favorite experiences of the semester.
Mandarin was also such a fun class. My professor had the happiest, most energetic personality, which made learning a new language so much less intimidating. I also loved Asian Culture & Society because we learned about food, religion, history, traditions, and so many aspects of Asian cultures that I had never been exposed to before.
Getting Involved Beyond the Classroom
Outside of the classroom, I wanted to get involved as much as possible. I joined the ESSEC Geopolitics & Defense Association and helped organize a conference focused on navigating risk in the Asia-Pacific region. I also competed in the AlphaSights Case Competition, continued working out at Fitness First throughout the semester, and participated in the University of South Carolina mentorship program. Having a mentor was incredibly helpful because it gave me someone to talk through my strengths with and helped me start thinking about internships and how I want to approach the job search process.
Outside of academics, I also made it a goal to truly experience Singapore. I spent countless hours walking, biking, exploring different neighborhoods, trying new foods, sightseeing, and learning about Singapore's history and culture. Beyond Singapore, I was able to travel throughout Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan, which only deepened my appreciation for different cultures and ways of life. This semester also made me realize just how much I love traveling, and I hope it's something that's always a part of my future career and life.
What I Am Taking With Me
More than anything, though, this semester helped me discover what I'm genuinely interested in. I've realized that I love being an ambassador for my country. Meeting people from all over the world, sharing American traditions, answering questions about life in the United States, and hearing about everyone else's experiences was one of my favorite parts of studying abroad. Working with people from so many different backgrounds made me realize just how much I enjoy cross-cultural collaboration and learning from different perspectives.
Academically and professionally, I've discovered that I have a real interest in marketing, geopolitics, and international affairs. At the same time, this semester reminded me that I don't want to close the door on consulting because I genuinely enjoy solving problems and working on strategic projects. I've also found myself drawn toward industries that I'm personally passionate about, like jewelry, health and fitness, travel, and other consumer-focused brands.
I definitely don't have everything figured out yet, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a much clearer picture of what kinds of opportunities excite me, what I'm naturally good at, and where I want to continue exploring!
Comments