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!).

Learning Outside of the Classrom: Gabelli Study Tour to Beijing

I went to China this Summer!

Two days into the fall semester of my junior year, it's hard to believe that I'm already  halfway done with my Fordham experience. It seems like the time is just flying by, which is how most students feel. The time flies, though, because Fordham students are always busy!  Being in NYC, it is very difficult to not be busy since there is simply so much to do both on campus and off of campus.

One of my favorite opportunities that I have had the privilege to have at Fordham is to travel the world. I love taking advantage of Fordham's Study Tours, which are mini Study Abroad opportunities that typically last 10-14 days and go absolutely anywhere in the world.

This Summer, I went on a Gabelli Study Tour to China with a group of about 40 students to experience first-hand the Chinese business culture. Right after finals, I packed my things and got on the longest flight of my life from NYC to Beijing. While I do not consider myself to be a couch potato, I certainly watched more than my fair share of movies on that flight. 

We all visited the Forbidden City together

Beijing was such an amazing opportunity. While we were there, we attended lectures at a local university to learn more about China's history, culture, and economy. It was fascinating to learn directly from Chinese scholars, who give such a different perspective than what I was used to hearing from American professors. These lectures really made me realize how different cultures can view the same events and circumstances completely differently simply because the different cultures have different perspectives.

Corporate Visit to Coca-Cola

We also visited several companies. Some of these companies are very familiar to Americans, such as Coca-Cola and Hyundai. However, we also visited companies that are very familiar to Chinese people, while unfamiliar to Americans, such as Tebian Electric, a major Chinese manufacturer of power transformers and other electronic equipment. We also visited Ricci Cafe, which is a restaurant chain that was created by two Americans who now live and work in various cities in China. Each of these companies was so different from the rest and truly provided invaluable first-hand knowledge and experience of China's business culture. 

Visit to the Great Wall of China

However, we also had plenty of time to become immersed in Beijing outside of our lectures and corporate visits. During my 10 days in Beijing, I ran all over the city to see as much of it as I could. I visited historical sites, bartered in several different markets, and ate so many new things (sometimes things I did not even recognize!). 

It is great to take classes about international business or to read about what it is like to conduct business in another country, but I really recommend actually experiencing first-hand what it is like in those countries. By the time I am a senior, I will have visited London, Paris, Beijing, and Santiago to gain this experience through Fordham's Study Tours. These experiences are helping me to become more conscious of not only American business, but the global business world, which is becoming increasingly more important as businesses all over the globe become more connected to one another.

Study Tours with Fordham!

On every campus tour I went on during my college search, I heard about the study abroad opportunities that the school offered. However, I knew that it was pointless to get excited about the study abroad options since my parents were completely against the idea of me leaving the country for a full semester. When I heard about Fordham's Study Tour options, however, I finally found my opportunity to study abroad! 

Fordham offers many Study Tours throughout the year for all different subject areas. The Study Tours vary in length, but they are shorter versions of studying abroad while still counting for course credit. These Study Tours usually take place over the Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks. Many of the Study Tours fulfill core and major requirements. This means that you get to see another part of the world while still staying on track with your studies!

The British Crown Jewels

I have participated in an International Business Study Tour to London and Paris, and I am participating in another one to Beijing next month! I absolutely loved my Study Tour to London and Paris. It was an amazing learning opportunity both about international business and the local cultures of London and Paris. I am really looking forward to experiencing Chinese culture and business in Beijing next month! I am taking some basic Mandarin classes to prepare...hopefully they help!

I also have friends who have participated in some other really fun Study Tours. 

One of my friends took an International Finance course in Turkey over Spring break. He actually loved it so much in Turkey that he is planning on spending all of next semester there on a semester-long study abroad opportunity. 
  
Another offering that my friends are taking advantage of is through the Theology department. In July, the Theology department is running a two-week Reformation Texts Study Tour to Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. This Study Tour also counts for a Sacred Texts & Traditions core requirement! 

We climbed the Eiffel Tower!

I have only highlighted a few of Fordham's many Study Tour options, but they are really great opportunities for students. For me, they allow me to study abroad on shorter trips so that my parents are willing to let me experience studying abroad. For my friend who participated in the International Finance Study Tour, he was able to decide whether or not Turkey was where he wanted to spend an entire semester. Many of my friends, however, just hear about an awesome Study Tour that is being offered and decide to take the course. 

I know that my experience with Study Tours has been amazing, and I would definitely recommend it to every student who comes to Fordham!

How I Chose Fordham

While I was in high school, I really did not know what I wanted to do with my life or where I wanted to go to college. However, there were a few things that I knew were absolutely necessary for my future college. Fortunately, Fordham managed to fit all of my requirements and my mom's sole requirement that my college could not be too far from home. 

My first requirement was that the college had to have a beautiful campus. This annoyed my dad to no end, but it was very important to me that I have a pleasant place to live. I grew up in a beautiful rural area, and I had no intentions of moving away from a place that I loved to a place I found hideous. Fortunately, Fordham has an absolutely beautiful campus, and the landscaping crew works very hard to keep it that way! 
 

My best friend and I visited Fordham together at the end of our Senior year of High School!

My second requirement was that I wanted a diverse education. While I was planning on majoring in Business Administration, I wanted to study other things as well. However, I really was not sure what I wanted to study. Fordham's Core Curriculum has definitely helped to clear up that issue! 

Fordham's Core Curriculum exposes students to many subjects that they would otherwise never explore. While some of my core classes have not been my favorite subjects, I have loved others. From taking my Theology core requirements, I have discovered a true passion for the subject, which has led to my minoring in Theology. Theology may be very different from Business in some respects, but values and morality are increasingly becoming topics of interest in the business world! 

My final requirement was that my college needed to be located in a location where I would easily be able to find internships and, eventually, a job. This turned out to be one of the more difficult requirements for my college because cities are often the best location for finding internships and jobs. However, colleges in the city are often not very beautiful, and I absolutely insisted that I had to have a beautiful campus. Thus, this requirement dramatically decreased my list of schools. However, Fordham was not eliminated from my list due to its ideal location in New York City. 

I can see the Empire State Building from my dorm, but I decided to go see it up close one day!

Now that we can see that Fordham fit all of my requirements (i.e. it has a beautiful campus, a diverse education, and ideal location) and my mom's requirement (Fordham is less than two hours away from home for me!). However, there was one other aspect of Fordham that really made it too good for me to pass up. 
 
As an incoming student in Gabelli, I was accepted into the Global Business Honors Program (GBHP), which has been an absolutely amazing experience. It is a rather small group of students (about 20 per year), and we work very closely together through our honors classes, which challenge us academically, but also teach us more about business on a global level. Additionally, we travel together on three Study Tours. Last Spring, the freshmen went on a Study Tour to London and Paris where we met with many different businesspeople to learn more about European business. This Spring, the sophomores and juniors are going to Beijing, and I cannot wait to go! I knew before being accepted into GBHP that Fordham was the college for me, but being a part of the program has only made me love Fordham more.

We could see Tower Bridge from the London office of Ernst & Young

Everyone at Fordham has their own personal reasons for coming to Fordham, but everyone seems to find his or her place at Fordham as part of the Fordham "Ramily." The idea of going away to college was something that really stressed me out after graduating from High School, but the one great thing about Fordham is that all of the students really make you feel at home while you are away from home. 

The day I moved on campus, I was made part of the "Ramily"

Study Tour to London and Paris with GBHP

On almost all of the college tours and information sessions I attended during my college search process, I kept hearing about each school’s study abroad options. However, I never really listened because I knew that my parents were not in favor of sending me away for a whole semester. I always assumed that my chance to see the world would come after Fordham, but I was wrong!

Shortly after being accepted into Fordham, I found out that I had also been accepted into Fordham’s Global Business Honors Program (GBHP). In addition to demanding strong academic achievement, this program challenges its students to have a global perspective. To achieve this, the students participate in study tours to learn more about business in other countries. 

                                                 Tower Bridge (London)

Last May, the GBHP freshmen went on a study tour of London and Paris for two weeks. While in London and Paris, we met with many businesses to understand in depth how United States business is both similar to and different from business in the United Kingdom and France. Some of the companies we visited with were Mondelez (formerly Kraft Foods), KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Virgin Media. It was fascinating to learn how each business had its own unique ways of doing things. It was especially interesting to see how companies like KPMG and Ernst & Young, which are such well-known companies in the United States, do business in Europe.

 

 Arc de Triomphe (Paris)

While these meetings definitely took up a good portion of our schedule, we still found time to explore London and Paris. I included some pictures of my favorite spots in London and Paris!

For more information, check out the GBHP website or, feel free to email me at erestaino@fordham.edu!

 

Versailles (Paris)

Fordham program in China

 Fordham has a study tour class that travels to China every semester. This course compares China and the U.S. with respect to both countries' political systems, cultures, philosophy, and political economy. It includes a two-week study tour with lectures, discussions, joint Chinese-American student study projects, and field trips to historic Chinese political and cultural sites in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. It also includes independent research and analysis in conjunction with the professor. Its goal is to enable students to comprehend more clearly the future of evolving Chinese-American political and economic relations in the contemporary era of globalization.

We had so much fun on this study tour. We went to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and so much amazing places! In Guangzhou, each of us had a Chinese roommate, and we made a lot of new friends. I will highly recommend this program to all of you!

Gifts of Grace: Showcasing the Talent of Fordham

On the 25th of March from 6:00-10:00pm in O'Keefe Commons, Fordham University's 2011 World Youth Day Pilgrimage Team presented Gifts of Grace.


The World Youth Day is a meeting of young people from all over the world gathered around the Vicar of Christ. This event is one of the primary means by which the Church proclaims the message of Christ to young people.


This event both celebrated and showcased the talent of Fordham University, while also raising funds for Fordham students to attend WYD. The event was open to the public and admission was five dollars. The proceeds supported the students who will pilgrimage to Spain this August.


The cost of admission covered various concessions and all of the following performers:

• B-SIDES
• RAMBLERS
• SATIN DOLLS
• EXPRESSIONS DANCE ALLIANCE
• JETPACK ATLANTIC

• LC'S LC
• CISZEK HALL JESUIT BAND
• GARVAUNDO HAMILTON (THE CURRENT FORDHAM IDOL)
• FORDHAM JAZZ COLLECTIVE
• DANNY GIBNEY AND COMPANY
• CHRISTIAN AND JEN MONSALVE

• T.J. ALCALA
• MIKE MARTINEZ
• THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
• IRISH STEP CLUB
• SAVE THE YOUTH CENTER

Rebecca Lindner, member of the class of FCRH 2013 and one of Fordham’s tour guides, helped organize this event and was very please with the outcome:

We are the Fordham World Youth Day pilgrimage team, a group of about 30 students going to Spain for three weeks this August for the largest conference of Catholic Youth in the world! We are fundraising to support our effort to attend the Magis program, a week of Jesuit reflection with students at Jesuit universities around the world followed by "experiments" - service projects and pilgrimages around Spain and Portugal - and then the actually WYD event at which we will be meeting the pope and millions of youth. The concert that we hosted on Friday raised over $1400 toward our goal with the help of the Fordham community!

Mike Finucane, member of the class of FCRH 2012, is very excited that Fordham is sending the most students out of any other Jesuit university:

We have focused most of our communal fundraising on the benefit auction, the sale of raffle tickets, and various bake sales throughout the year. Individually we have been writing letters to friends and family who might be able to offer support.

It is very exciting that Fordham is sending the most students out of any Jesuit university and that so many students are supporting their peers in this great cause.

Global Business Honors

Gabelli School of Business: Academics // Global Business Honors: "Saturday, March 6, 2010 Ni Hao, peng you! That’s “hello friend” in Mandarin Chinese, which should be a useful phrase for me when I arriv..."