Whether they’re enjoying Dillo day, cheering on Chicago’s Big Ten Team, or spending time on the Lakefill, the Wildcats are living the good life in Evanston.
But, what about their experiences off-campus? When they’re not in Evanston, where in the world are the Wildcats and what are they doing?
Keep reading to find out about three Northwestern students and their adventures this summer as Sage Corps fellows.
Griffin Bourjaily
Griffin is living in Chicago this summer and working as an intern at Coder, a venture development services startup. He is currently working with one of Coder’s main clients, a mobile platform that assists veterans with the transition into civilian life, and is creating a suite of investor materials for the founder and a pricing package for the company. He is also developing marketing and expansion strategies for Coder to improve the company’s sales initiatives. Griffin is a rising senior majoring in Economics and minoring in Business.
Name one of your biggest wins of the summer.
“Finishing a financial model for the veteran services client that took us two weeks to find the data to back up our claims.”
What is the most valuable lesson/ most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened during your internship?
“I would say my technical skills related to strategic thinking.”
How has this experience helped you get closer to achieving your post-graduation/ career goals?
“I think Sage Corps not only looks great on a resume, but also gives students an opportunity to learn about a whole new industry that they wouldn’t normally have access to. Without Sage Corps, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to break into the tech startup industry unless I decided to create my own startup down the road. However, I am now more prepared for that path and know the ins and outs of the tech industry.”
What’s the most fun/ coolest thing you’ve done with your cohort so far this summer?
“I would say the Startup Grind event powered by Google Entrepreneurs. We helped decide what startup would receive funding which is really cool to be in that position.”
Griffin plans to pursue a career in management consulting upon graduation.
Ezequiel Linares
Zeke is currently in Buenos Aires working as an investment research analyst intern at Wayra, Telefonica’s startup accelerator and venture capital fund that focuses on seed investments. Zeke has a variety of responsibilities at Wayra but is currently working on analyzing the company’s portfolio companies and finding feasible fundraising opportunities for the group’s entrepreneurs. He uses Wayra’s consolidated database of Latin American Venture Capital funds and Angels to match compatible entrepreneurs and investors.
Zeke is a rising junior majoring in Industrial Engineering, minoring in Business Institutions, and pursuing a certificate in Entrepreneurship.
Why did you decide to participate in Sage Corps?
“Initially, I was tied between doing a domestic internship and wanting to study abroad this summer. I decided to participate in Sage Corps because it strikes a good balance between the two different experiences I was seeking. Outside of connecting me with an incredible internship opportunity, Sage Corps provided me a really cool cohort to explore Buenos Aires with and an engaged Country Manager who is always on call for any questions. More importantly, though, Juan, our Country Manager, has been able to set my cohort up with amazing professional opportunities to network with companies such as KMPG, Google, and an awesome co-working space called La Maquinita.”
What is the most valuable lesson/ most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened while abroad in your city?
“The most valuable lesson that I have learned while abroad in my city is that good stories are waiting to be made. Sometimes the best nights are the spontaneous ones that weren’t planned earlier that day. So always be open minded to any activities and you’ll be surprised at how fun they end up being.”
How has this experience helped you get closer to achieving your post-graduation/ career goals?
“This experience has helped me get closer to achieving my career goals because it has given me the ability to immerse myself in an entirely new situation and forced me to think quickly on my feet. I believe that regardless of the career path that I end up going down, the global perspective I will have developed by the end of my 8-week journey will prove useful in helping me think outside the box when confronted with any difficult problem-solving scenarios.”
Name one of your biggest wins of the summer.
“One of my biggest wins of the summer thus far was attending an exclusive event hosted by Google for Entrepreneurs at AreaTres, which is a co-working space in Palermo Soho. There was delicious food, fantastic drinks, and live music. Not to mention an uncanny amount of networking. By the end of the night, I was able to connect with a couple of gentlemen who received an award at the most recent NASA Hackathon and am now currently in the works of sourcing them as an investment opportunity for Wayra.”
Post-gradation, Zeke plans to enter the consulting field and work as a management consultant.
Zeke and his cohort enjoying the local culture in Buenos Aires
Ignacio de Osma
Like Griffin, Ignacio is currently interning at Coder Inc. in Chicago. Some of his responsibilities include developing the financial forecasts for one Coder’s clients, working on Coder’s cryptocurrencies initiatives, and working on a “venture challenge,” in which he and a colleague were given an idea and had to prepare for a mock investor pitch.
Ignacio is majoring in Economics and Mathematics and minoring in computer science.
Why did you decide to participate in Sage Corps?
I decided to participate in Sage Corps because it provided me the opportunity to learn from a completely new experience and hence gain new skills, and at the same time meet new and amazing people!
Name one of your biggest wins of the summer.
Although I have gained many skills, both technical and personal, I believe the biggest win was meeting the people I work with. I think the friendships I have established will last longer than anything else.
What is the most valuable lesson/ most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened during your internship?
I believe the most valuable lesson I learned during my internship was the ability to perform a decent outcome in an unknown situation.
What is the most valuable lesson/ most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened while in your city?
Although I reside in Illinois, I had the opportunity to know people from very different places. Therefore, I had the opportunity to gain insight into different cultures and ways of life.
Although Ignacio doesn’t have any concrete post-graduation plans, he feels that his Sage Corps fellowship helped him gain skills that will be transferable to any of his future careers.
So, there you have it! As you can see, Zeke, Griffin, and Ignacio are making tangible, practical contributions to their startups this summer and building valuable professional skills. We’re excited to see where this journey takes them!
Interning abroad provides valuable experience that employers love to see. Join the less than 1% of college students gaining international work experience today.
