Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, I wasn't able to study abroad in a traditional sense. At the height of the pandemic, in the Spring of 2021 I decided to take part in a virtual "study abroad" opportunity. This program was a partnership between Clemson University and the IÉSEG School of Management in La Défense, France. Through this program I was able to take courses that were co-taught by faculty from both Universities. I also took part in a virtual internship and a Clemson course that enhanced my cross-cultural awareness. Studying and learning languages has always been an interest of mine, and this program allowed me to enhance my understanding of the French language.

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The main course I took part in during my "study-abroad" program was MGT 4230 otherwise known as International Business Management. This course took place over 8 weeks. The first 4 weeks were taught through the IÉSEG School of Management and the last 4 weeks were taught by a Clemson Professor. The first half of the course covered the international organizations that influence and impact the global economy like the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. The second half of the course went more in-depth as to how these organizations worked as well as covering several case-studies of companies trying, succeeding, and sometimes failing at expanding abroad.

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Another course taught through the program was IS 2100 which was called Selected Topics in International Studies. This course discussed the differences between "tight" and "loose" cultures. This was in order to better understand how business is conducted in different international settings. This course also served as a general check-in for the international courses and for the internship. The final objective of the course was for all students to earn the AFS Global Competence Certificate, which I did earn. 

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One of the requirements of the program was to participate in an international internship. Through API International, I was able to intern for a Dublin based company called The PR Training Academy. The PR Training Academy was founded right before the COVID-19 Pandemic. This turned out to be for the company's benefit as they began to offer virtual courses about public relations techniques in a digital world as the world began to conduct business virtually.  I was an intern for this company from the end of January to the end of April 2021. I served mainly as a market researcher. My main role was to independently conduct research on the company's competitors in North America. Then share these findings with my advisor. 

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I have studied the French language and culture for the past 10 years. The French language has certainly contributed to my personal development. After Middle School, I'm glad that I stuck with learning French throughout high school and University. At Clemson, not only have I massively improved my comprehension of the French language and culture, I have become aware of the doors that my knowledge of the language has opened for me. This fact can be mainly attributed to the amazing faculty in the Department of Languages.

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Something that I've noticed while studying French culture is the French people's commitment to achieve perfection in their pursuits. The French are more concerned with producing quality over quantity. This can be mainly seen through French cuisine. French food and French chefs are considered to be titans of the culinary world. Food, and more specifically the naming of certain kinds of food, is a very important pillar of French culture.

 

The French government pursues legal action to protect the naming and classification of certain food products. This is done to protect French culture and define certain items as uniquely French. The most known example of this is Champagne. Another such example is Roquefort cheese. Roquefort cheese is essentially identical to blue cheese. But Roquefort cheese is unique because it is produced by a certain species of sheep and in the region around the village of Roquefort. So just as not all sparkling wine is champagne, not all blue cheese is Roquefort cheese. I have an immense appreciation for the French government's efforts to widely preserve and protect French culture.

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I started studying Italian in the Spring semester of my Freshman year. I did this because I wanted to learn a third language. Since then the classes that I have taken have taught me about a wide range of things. Not only have I learned to oral and written Italian at an intermediate level, I have also learned about the history of Italian film and about the history of the Italian economy. What I believe to have helped learn the language so quickly was how these courses were taught both in a traditional classroom sense and as a Socratic seminar.

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This page was difficult for me to write. For my major it's required that students study abroad, and stated throughout this essay I wasn't able to do that in a traditional sense. But I'm glad that I went down the road that I did. I wouldn't give up the memories that I've made, both good and bad, these past four years as a Clemson Student. Because they've made me who I am today. I also know that the opportunity to live, work, and travel abroad will always be available to me because of my pursuit to learn new languages.