Before boarding the plane that would take me half way around the world, I had no idea what to expect. I knew I would learn the most once I was actually living in Sydney; therefore, I did not put much thought into my expectations. The only assumptions I had before coming to Sydney was from reading a few culture books as well as researching places to visit. Although I am four weeks into the program, I want to talk about some of the goals I wish to accomplish academically, professionally, and personally to then look back on come the final days of the program.

Academically:

I am taking three courses: International Marketing, Managing Global Supply Chain, and Analyzing and Exploring the Global City: Sydney. As part of my internship, I am also enrolled in an internship class that meets four times during the semester. This course requires us to reflect on our time while interning and teaches us the skills to be able to effectively communicate these experiences. As a marketing major, I am interested to understand the measures and processes it takes for companies wanting to expand their product or service in the global market. Having already listened to a few seminars, I did not realize the extent it took in having to fully understand another countries culture before embarking on marketing efforts to a specific target market. I am also uncertain about whether I want to pursue a major in supply chain; therefore, I decided to take managing global supply chain to see if this subject would peak my interest. I also enrolled in the urban studies course to give me a greater sense of the history of Sydney acting as a global city. After taking these courses, I hope to have a better direction on my career path and become more knowledgeable on how other countries market their good/service.

Professionally:

This will be my first time upholding an internship position. Espresso Communications is a full-service communications agency that consults clients in media and influencer outreach, strategy development, and content production. Its clients are mostly comprised in the consumer, corporate, technology, digital, and sustainability sectors. I have never been exposed to the PR and communications industry until now. While interning, I hope to form lasting relationships with my colleagues, improve my written and verbal skills, and adjust to Espresso’s culture. With greater insight into the PR world, I will know whether or not I would want to pursue a career in PR.

Personally:

On a personal level, my main goal before studying aboard was to explore as much as I could about the cultural and historical parts of Australia. I wanted to leave the comfort of home and place myself in an entirely different environment. The only way for people to truly learn and grow is if they have a greater perspective about the world and actually see how others live. I have always wanted to travel and Sydney gave me the opportunity to live independently and learn new life skills. From this experience, I hope to learn more about myself through situations I would never thought to imagine. Luckily, Sydney has so much to offer and I can’t wait to continue exploring!