Studying Abroad- Amsterdam & Mexico

I’ve started mixing in some thoughts on career advice, college experiences, and reflections from my time at Chico. This comes up a lot as I work with my alma maters board of governors and I have been getting some really positive feedback.

Hands down one of the best experiences of my college life was studying abroad in the Netherlands. Something I would suggest to anyone going into or currently in college today. I enjoyed studying abroad so much for a semester in Amsterdam that I also did a winter break session in Guadalajara, Mexico for my business capstone class.

While attending Chico State, I studied abroad in Amsterdam at The HES. Studying abroad brought me so many opportunities from traveling throughout Europe, meeting new friends from around the world, and experiencing new cultures; all while learning more about business and finance than I ever imagined. I will never forget the road trips to attend Oktoberfest in Germany, Budapest, Prague, Barcelona, Catalonia, Brugge, & Paris.

I truly believe studying abroad was the reason I got my first job at Bloomberg. I can still remember to this day, after passing the group interview stage in the San Francisco office, I was brought into a room and asked questions about the markets and when they asked me a specific question about the options market, I nailed the answer. Chris Shea at the time was the one interviewing me and I will never forget the look on his face when he said “Wow, nobody has ever gotten that question right.” What I learned in Amsterdam, in the minimal class time that they required of us, was what allowed me to answer that question that sealed the deal on me getting my first job.

Study Abroad! And go to Amsterdam!