Hallo alle die Menschen! My name is Jeff Zeng and I am a rising junior pursuing an Economics-Statistics joint major and an Arts & Sciences-Business dual degree from the College of Business Administration.
I’ve been learning German since 5th grade all the way up to my senior year in high school–it’s pretty rusty now, unfortunately. Three years ago, I had the phenomenal opportunity to travel to Germany; I lived with a host family for two weeks in Hannover while also attending my host brother’s school the Geschwister-Scholl Gymnasium. I spent the last week traveling to Berlin, Munich, and Salzburg (Austria). This experience initiated me into the German culture and language. This summer, I will be returning to Germany not only for the social and cultural experience, but for a professional experience as well. For three months, I will be interning for Vencon Research, a global provider of compensation benchmarking data for consulting firms in management, IT, and strategy. This unique opportunity combines my passion for international learning and travel with a highly professional experience. The familiar yet still foreign environment continues to present challenges with respect to cultural norms and language, but this is a challenge I’m intent and excited to take on. Inevitably, I will fail numerous times, but with each setback, I will expand my circle of knowledge. I will continue to push myself to become an integrated member of a city and country that is rich in culture, language, and ideas. I will challenge myself to become a leader in a global environment–a leader who recognizes the immense diversity that exists and is able to unite people through language and the constant exchange of information.
Finally, I am excited to share this experience with you! Every week, I will be writing a blog post about my experiences and encounters on this very blog. Read about my activities–embarrassing and successful–that will surely provide you with an immersive time. And vivid descriptions of food. Lots of food.
Stay tuned for more!
Adventure is out there. Los gehts!