Oh, the Places You'll Go with Gabelli!

We did a lot of shopping at the markets!

Ever since I have returned to campus after Spring break, I have been itching to put away my winter jacket. Unfortunately, the weather in New York still is not warm enough for my summer wardrobe. However, I did have the opportunity to break out my summer wardrobe over Spring break since I went on a Study Tour to Santiago, Chile with Gabelli's Global Business Honors Program. This was my third and final trip with the program. It was also probably my favorite trip, especially since it was over Spring break!

Our visit to El Teniente Copper Mine

While we were in Chile, we attended several lectures at a Chilean Jesuit University and visited several companies. The purpose of the trip was to experience the business and culture of Chile. One of our company visits was to Codelco's El Teniente Copper Mine, which is the largest copper mine in the world. We dressed up in orange jumpsuits complete with hardhats, gas masks, and ear plugs. It was quite an ordeal getting 45 people into the correct gear, but it was such a great experience to tour the mine since copper comprises such a large portion of the Chilean economy. We also visited Banco Estado, Start-Up Chile, JP Morgan, and

Quebrada de Macul Vineyard. 

Although our days were very busy, we still managed to fit some touristy things into our days. I certainly ate a lot of great food while I was in Santiago. My favorite part of each meal, though, was my drink. In Chile, there was raspberry juice, which tasted just like blended raspberries, which tasted absolutely amazing! It is a shame that we do not have such an amazing drink readily accessible in New York restaurants. Perhaps I will have to introduce it to New York! 

San Cristóbal Hill

One of the interesting aspects of Santiago is that there are many hills and even mountains right in the midst of the city. Therefore, there were a several places to climb to great views overlooking the city. One of the best things to do in Santiago was climb
San Cristóbal Hill, which was a mountain in Santiago. Atop the mountain was a statue of Mary overlooking the whole city. As a group, we climbed to the top and watched the sun set over the city. It was an absolutely magical experience that I would highly recommend to anyone ever visiting Santiago! 

Overall, I had an amazing trip. I was sad to leave Santiago and I hope to one day return, but it was also nice to come back to Fordham and share my experiences in Santiago with my professors and fellow classmates. This experience was so enriching and has definitely shaped my understanding of Chilean business and culture so that I am a much more knowledgeable individual entering the global business arena. I would highly recommend this trip and Gabelli's other Study Tour opportunities to every Fordham student. Not only are they a ton of fun, but you really learn so much!

Seeing the World One City at a Time!

London's Big Ben

When I came to Fordham, I had never left the country before. I dreamed of seeing the world, but I never expected to start traveling the world so soon. However, Fordham has allowed me to travel across continents. By the time I graduate, I will have visited four countries in three different continents. I have been able to do this by taking advantage of Fordham's Study Tour programs, which are short study abroad programs. Rather than spending a whole semester abroad, the study tours last about two weeks.

In my freshman year, I took advantage of a Gabelli Study Tour to Europe. With a group of twenty-three students, I visited London and Paris.  While in these cities, we visited several companies from a range of different business disciplines. Each visit gave us a sense of what it was like to conduct business in Europe, which was very valuable. 

The Great Wall of China!

In my sophomore year, I went on a Study Tour to Beijing. Although Beijing was certainly different than New York, I thought it was an amazing experience. We visited many of the major companies in Beijing and attended several lectures at a Beijing university. I especially enjoyed the lectures at the university since they covered historical and business topics from a very different perspective than I had ever experienced before. 

In two weeks, I will be leaving for my third Study Tour. This trip will be to Santiago, Chile. I am currently taking a Business Practices course that is preparing my class for this trip. We have been learning about the political and economic conditions that are affecting the business climate. Spending so much time preparing for this trip is really making me antsy to go! Like the previous trips, we will be visiting various businesses and attending lectures at a Chilean university in Santiago. My Spanish is pretty rusty, but hopefully I will remember enough to get me around the city (It's a good thing that the lectures and company visits will be in English!).