My favorite class while studying abroad was a marketing course that focused on global branding and consumer culture. The class explored how brands adapt their strategies across different international markets, which was especially interesting while living in another country and observing those differences firsthand. One of the most valuable parts of the course was getting to work for the entire semester directly with a startup company based in Perth. My classmates and I collaborated with the company’s stakeholders and leadership to analyze challenges they were facing and propose potential solutions from a marketing perspective. It connected closely with my studies in marketing at the University of San Diego and gave me a new perspective on how culture, strategy, and real-world business decisions all intersect.

One of the things I always tell people is that I went into the program knowing just one friend, but I left with an entire friend group through CEA CAPA. The program created so many opportunities to meet people from different schools and backgrounds, and those connections quickly became a huge part of my experience abroad. We traveled together, explored Sydney, and supported each other throughout the semester through study sessions and eating “family” dinners. Toward the end of the program, I worked with my program coordinator to organize a Thanksgiving lunch since it was many of our first Thanksgivings away from our families and also our last weekend together. It was really special to all sit together, reflect on the semester, and just reminisce about everything we had experienced before heading home.