Up next in our University Spotlight series is the University of Texas at Austin. When most people think about UT Austin, they remember the school as the home of the Texas Longhorns, and for good reason. But, when the Sage Corps HQ team thinks about UT Austin, our first thought is something else: entrepreneurship.
That’s because we’ve had incredibly talented UT Austin students participate in our global entrepreneurship program. These students are self-motivated, creative, and not afraid to push themselves outside their comfort zones. They’re rock star entrepreneurs in the making!
We spoke with two of them from our Summer 2017 cohort about their experiences abroad – here’s what they had to say:
CHARLES MALKIN
Charles spent his fellowship in Sydney, Australia as a content writing intern at Marketing Bee, a company that offers cloud-based marketing solutions to its clients. Here, he focused on creating and editing blog content for the company blog.
Charles is a rising senior majoring in Business and Marketing and minoring in Creative Writing.
What is the most valuable lesson/most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened while abroad in your city?
“Traveling broadens perspective. There is no class, no job, no textbook that will ever teach you more about yourself and life as a whole than physically seeing it with your own eyes.”
Name one of your biggest wins of the summer.
“Living on Bondi Beach was by far the greatest win of the summer. There’s nothing better than waking up to the sound of waves crashing.”
Name one of the biggest challenges you’ve successfully overcome this summer.
“The time change between here and the States is 15 hours, so communicating with my family was tough at the beginning. But, I was able to figure out ways to chat with them when we were both awake.”
Why did you decide to participate in Sage Corps?
“Sage Corps was able to provide me with everything that I was looking for. Sage Corps helped me find an awesome job in an unbelievable city.”
ow has this experience helped you get closer to achieving your post-graduation/career goals?
“This experience in particular has confirmed my passion to work abroad in my mid 20’s. Before coming here, I was unsure if it was too far-fetched…but after living through it, I am sure that it is something I would like to do.”
Charles has not yet decided on his post-graduation plans.
The Sydney cohort and Country Manager, Tashi, becoming fast friends at Orientation.
JONAH SACKS
Jonah also spent his summer in Sydney, where we worked as a marketing intern for Skippr Cash Flow, a finch (financial technology) company that provides a cash flow advisory tool to help businesses and their advisors better manage their cash flows. As a marketing intern, Jonah worked primarily on SEO and video editing projects.
Jonah is a rising senior majoring in Urban Studies and minoring in Business Foundations.
Why did you decide to participate in Sage Corps?
“I chose to participate in Sage Corps because it was an incredible opportunity to travel the world and to get more work experience at the same time. I went to work during the week and did my best to make an impact at a startup where every little decision can go such a long way. Then on the weekends, I had the opportunity to go to places like Melbourne, the Blue Mountains, Kangaroo Island, and the Gold Coast. I couldn’t have asked for a better combination of “work hard, play hard”!”
What is the most valuable lesson/most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened while abroad in your city?
“Living in a foreign country forces you to go outside of your comfort zone and try new things. I never thought I would get the opportunity to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, wander the streets of Fitzroy in Melbourne, see a koala, or see a kangaroo in person (and even eat a kangaroo!). But, being in Australia for three months has allowed me to do all of that and more. For the record, the kangaroo was not one of my favorite dishes!”
What is the most valuable lesson/most valuable skill you’ve learned or strengthened during your internship?
“Working at a startup has allowed me to learn more about entrepreneurship and marketing than I ever learned while in school. These companies work at such a fast pace, and if they ask something of you that you do not know, you have to teach it to yourself and learn it as quickly as possible. The fast-paced nature of working at a startup is difficult, but very exciting.”
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 post-graduation goals because it’s another learning experience under my belt. I’ve had the experience working for corporate jobs in America, and I wanted to try something new and get this work experience in Australia where there is a completely different business culture. I also got to see how startups operate and how tough it is to be an entrepreneur. For that reason, it has been a very humbling experience because these companies work harder than anyone and have such great obstacles to face.”
What’s the most fun/coolest thing you’ve done with your cohort this summer?
“Just going out and letting loose after work with the other cohort members was always a good time. Although Sydney doesn’t seem like a foreign place at all, it was fun being with some other Americans and bonding over things going on over in the Northern Hemisphere!”
When reflecting on his fellowship, Jonah explained,
“Overall, this is an experience that I would do over and over if I could. I am thankful to Sage Corps and to Skippr for making all of this possible and for helping me expand my knowledge of the business world and the world as a whole!”
Upon graduation, Jonah hopes to enter the Real Estate industry and work on investment related projects.
Now that Charles and Jonah are Sage Corps alumni, it’s time for them to apply the knowledge they gained and the experiences they had in Sydney to their next adventures. We’re excited to see what’s next for them, and are here to support them every step of the way!
Interning abroad provides valuable experience that employers love to see. Join the less than 1% of college students gaining international work experience today.
