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IAESTE |
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Cy Denney, Virginia Tech, Italy 2003/China 2004  Few things dramatically change the direction of your life. Without a doubt, IAESTE has changed my future. Prior to learning about IAESTE, I was on course to land the best "cubicle job" I could, hoping that I would be happy with the company and position. Now, eighteen months later I have worked in Italy and Shanghai and traveled through Europe and China. Paris, Rome, Florence, Beijing, Prague, Budapest, viewing Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, hiking in the Swiss Alps, walking on the Great Wall, and watching the Tour de France -- done, done, check, check. The friendships and bonds that I have with my co-workers are special. Time in other countries revealed that kindness and friendship bridge any cultural divide. Now I am looking toward a future bright with excitement and opportunity, with the possibility of beginning a career abroad. Living and working abroad allows you a glimpse into the history of a country through the lives of your friends and coworkers. Learning and understanding the importance of family in Italy contrasted with the hardships incurred by Chinese family who violated the "one-child policy. Along the way, I have learned a lot. New perspectives on America and new insight to the way America is viewed abroad -- only possible by being on the outside looking in. I take great joy in changing negative opinions of America, one person at a time... while simultaneously recognizing why these opinions have been formed in the minds of so many citizens. Unlike study abroad or a lengthy vacation, IAESTE puts you into the lives and culture of the people. Living in a company dormitory, riding the bus to work, eating at the street vendor stands-- while everyone looks on in amazement for foreigners never live in Chinese dormitories, ride buses, or visit the neighborhoods. Not only do you learn the culture and history of your host country, the IAESTE experience is made complete through the learning you have with interns joining you from all over the world. Sitting down to a Chinese dinner with students from China, Colombia, England, Germany, Norway, Malta, Spain, or Switzerland is no longer unusual. Spending several hours with two students from Iran was one of my most memorable conversations, leaving us all a little wiser and more understanding. While still at school, I took a leadership role in the Local Committee and gained so much more than I gave. Meeting with deans and company presidents, presentations to students, envisioning new marketing strategies for the LC -- all tasks which sharpened skills that classroom lectures could not. And to think, I almost didn't send in my application because I thought it looked too good to be true. Well, it is too good... but definitely true." |