Author: Hayden Foster | Major: Marketing and Finance | Semester: Summer 2024
Boat day in Lake Lugano, Switzerland
I am excited to share my experience studying abroad at CIMBA Italy this summer. This respected institute is located in the beautiful town of Paderno del Grappa, Italy at the base of the Dolomite Mountains. The program was four weeks in the summer session.
From a young age, I had always been fascinated by learning about different cultures and regions of the world. One of my earliest core childhood memories is receiving a laminated United States map from the dollar store. Every night at dinner I would bombard my parents with questions about where they had been, what it was like, and where we were going next. After many dinner conversations of exhausting my parents with the US States, they decided it was time to upgrade to a world map. This world map allowed my curiosities to grow while my interests in culture and art expanded. After receiving this world map, I began a travel journal riddled with an ever-growing list of cities and countries around the world that I would like to visit.
As a sophomore, this program sparked my interest as a Marketing and Finance major, the courses that CIMBA offered aligned directly with my post grad goals of working abroad. The Global Consumer and International Marketing were perfect courses for me as a Marketing major. These classes created a broader learning environment that would complement my education at The University of Arkansas and provide me with a global perspective. Typically, major life events at this age consist of graduating high school and graduating college. It is not very often that you get to pivot between these two events. I realized that this has been one of the most transformative months of my life. This learning experience has grown me personally and professionally and I am forever indebted to it.
On a professional level, Molly Rapert’s Global Consumer class has broadened my perspectives on various social, economic, and cultural topics. During this class, we had the opportunity to discuss, read, and explore China in depth. This exploration included examining China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which opened my eyes to its vast geopolitical and economic implications. We also delved into China’s complex relationship with Africa, a topic that highlighted the intricate dynamics of international trade and development. Additionally, learning about China’s social credit system and citizen surveillance offered a view of how technology and governance can shape behavior and control. This class made me think about topics I would have never considered on my own, pushing the boundaries of my understanding. This is truly the most eye-opening class I have ever taken; I am eager to continue learning about the topics we touched on over the past four weeks. This course has enriched me with a nuanced perspective that will undoubtedly benefit my professional and personal growth in the future. The other course I took, Sarah Grace’s International Marketing class allowed me compare and contrast different cultures from a lens outside of our typical environment. Something Professor Grace said to us within the first few days of being in Italy is, “it is easier to examine your own culture when you are removed from the fishbowl”. I found this to be very true throughout our in-class discussions about the American market. My favorite part of this course was creating a strategic plan for a US based product, brand, or service to be marketed internationally. I choose the American clothing brand, J. Crew, and loved navigating how to effectively adjust marketing strategies across cultures. I would highly recommend both of these courses to anyone considering doing the CIMBA program!
On an interpersonal level, this experience has pushed me out of my comfort zone to be in a new country with new people. I have learned so much about working with other people through my experiences traveling with twelve others every weekend. Engaging with locals and fellow students from diverse backgrounds has taught me the value of effective communication and teamwork. As we explored new cultures, navigated new cities and languages, I have learned to quickly be adaptable to the unknown. This journey has also shown me the importance of empathy and patience when navigating differences, skills that are invaluable in both personal and professional settings. Overall, this experience has enriched my interpersonal skills, making me more open-minded, culturally sensitive, and better prepared to thrive in a global environment.
After returning home and reflecting on this once in a lifetime experience, I will carry with me a new outlook on life. To sum up my experience, I continue to reflect on Molly Rapert’s insightful quote: “Think of this time as just one of many dominoes that might be pushing you in a new direction… or reinforcing the direction you are in”. This journey has indeed set a new domino in motion, one that will influence the trajectory of my personal and professional life in ways I am only beginning to understand.