#uglobalentp

[utahabroad]

Global Entrepreneurship Program Update

By: Jessie Jolly, Social Media Scholarship Recipient Spring 2019, Global Entrepreneurship in South America 

Welp it’s official. We have finally reached our halfway point and are on the tail end of our trip to South America. Even though we have only been here for two months, I think I can speak for all of us when I say Chile now feels like home and we’re not ready to think about it coming to an end quite yet. We’re now settled into our internships, have developed close relationships with the other international students living at our apartment complex, and have gotten into a good routine with our classes. Here is a recap of what we’ve been up to so far.

When we first arrived in Chile near the beginning of January, we made our way to the southern most part of the Patagonia region. We spent a week exploring the historic town of Punta Arenas, admiring the picturesque views in Torres del Paine and visiting the penguins on Magdalena Island. This is where we were first introduced to Chilean culture and to the rest of the group that we would be spending the next few months with. After getting to know one another and bonding in Punta Arenas, it was time to fly back to Santiago and get to work.

Santiago is our home base here in Chile. It is where we live, work and study- and we couldn’t think of a better place to be. Since being here we’ve had the chance to visit multiple companies such as IBM, Corfo, and Costanera where we were able to learn more intricate details about their companies and process. We have finished 3 out of the 5 entrepreneurship classes we are enrolled in and have matured in our internships. During the week days we all stay really focused on our internships and studying, but we have been good about finding balance and allowing time for fun in the evenings and over the weekends such as group dinners, frequenting the beach, and exploring the nightlife of Santiago.  

We live in an international student housing complex located in the heart of Santiago. It has been a pleasure getting to know the other residents here who come from all over the world and having the opportunity to learn from so many different cultures. The diversity that we encounter is like none other and has made each of us become so much more culturally aware. We really enjoy living here and touring the country with our new friends.

Overall it has been an unforgettable experience thus far and we’re each still starving for more. The classes we have taken, the networking we’ve done, and all of the places we have visited has been unreal. We’re looking forward to future plans the Global Entrepreneurship Program has in store for us and are so excited that we still have plenty of time to soak in all the great things that Chile has to offer.

[jessiejollytravels-blog]

South America Global Entrepreneurship Program Comes to an End

The South America Global Entrepreneurship Program has officially come to an end and the students are back home. In the last month of the program students finished up their internships, squeezed in final weekend trips around Chile, wrapped up their spring semester classes and finished it all off together exploring the historical city of Cusco nestled in the Peruvian Andes. We had a diverse group to begin with- students who were well travelled, students who had never left the United States before and most had grown up in completely different environments from one another. Even though we all came from such different backgrounds and had different goals for coming on this trip, I feel as though we all came home with some similar lessons learned. Throughout our trip we were all pushed outside of our comfort zones at different times, we each gained new friendships and I’m sure all of us returned home with a new perspective on life.  

January and February seemed to breeze by so quickly for us. We were all so immersed in school and our internships those first months that it was nice to come up for some air in March and April. By the last week of March everyone’s internships had come to an end which left us with only one last class to focus on for the remaining of the trip. This allowed us with a bit more time to explore Chile and say goodbye to all of our friends that we had made throughout the experience.

In April we took our final trip as an entire group to Cusco, Peru. Here we were all stunned by the beauty of the Andes, constantly awed over the colorful and lively culture of the Incas and indulged in the famous Peruvian cuisine as though each meal were going to be our last. We even had the opportunity to tour one of the wonders of the world together- Machu Picchu. If our time in Chile wasn’t memorable enough, I’m sure the last week we spent in Peru absolutely made this study abroad a trip none of us will ever forget.

By the end of the trip I couldn’t help but be so proud of all the students and faculty who participated in this amazing program. Like I mentioned earlier, some students on this trip had never had the opportunity to travel this far or for this long prior to the Global Entrepreneurship Program. Everyone pushed the boundaries of their comfort zones and tried new things, we all made irreplaceable friendships with each other, people we met along this journey and with our professors, and we all view life through a slightly different lens now. Some of us came here thinking that South America would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but after this trip, I am sure that won’t be the case. Three and a half months of living abroad just isn’t enough. We learned that South American people have seen their fair share of heartache. They’ve faced numerous natural disasters, endured civil wars, and continually battle corrupt governments, poverty and hunger. Despite all of this, the warm and welcoming nature of everyone we encountered while living here and the beauty of the countries we visited proved so much resilience and strength and definitely deserves another visit. We know we’ll be back.

The South America Global Entrepreneurship Program is a trip I will always cherish. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in one of these programs, I highly recommend you jump on board! No need to think twice 😉

[jessiejollytravels-blog]

Global Entrepreneurship Program Update

Welp it’s official. We have finally reached our halfway point and are on the tail end of our trip to South America. Even though we have only been here for two months, I think I can speak for all of us when I say Chile now feels like home and we’re not ready to think about it coming to an end quite yet. We’re now settled into our internships, have developed close relationships with the other international students living at our apartment complex, and have gotten into a good routine with our classes. Here is a recap of what we’ve been up to so far.

When we first arrived in Chile near the beginning of January, we made our way to the southern most part of the Patagonia region. We spent a week exploring the historic town of Punta Arenas, admiring the picturesque views in Torres del Paine and visiting the penguins on Magdalena Island. This is where we were first introduced to Chilean culture and to the rest of the group that we would be spending the next few months with. After getting to know one another and bonding in Punta Arenas, it was time to fly back to Santiago and get to work.

Santiago is our home base here in Chile. It is where we live, work and study- and we couldn’t think of a better place to be. Since being here we’ve had the chance to visit multiple companies such as IBM, Corfo, and Costanera where we were able to learn more intricate details about their companies and process. We have finished 3 out of the 5 entrepreneurship classes we are enrolled in and have matured in our internships. During the week days we all stay really focused on our internships and studying, but we have been good about finding balance and allowing time for fun in the evenings and over the weekends such as group dinners, frequenting the beach, and exploring the nightlife of Santiago.  

We live in an international student housing complex located in the heart of Santiago. It has been a pleasure getting to know the other residents here who come from all over the world and having the opportunity to learn from so many different cultures. The diversity that we encounter is like none other and has made each of us become so much more culturally aware. We really enjoy living here and touring the country with our new friends.

Overall it has been an unforgettable experience thus far and we’re each still starving for more. The classes we have taken, the networking we’ve done, and all of the places we have visited has been unreal. We’re looking forward to future plans the Global Entrepreneurship Program has in store for us and are so excited that we still have plenty of time to soak in all the great things that Chile has to offer.