Isis is a visiting student from Brazil on the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program. She said “I’d like to share my experience with the International Business Club and the field trip to the Arkansas World Trade Center with other students regarding how much we can learn through new experiences and make friends when you get involved with the campus community.” Here’s her story:

Isis getting ready for job fairs!

I arrived at the University of Arkansas in August 2012 and since then I have discovered many opportunities to get involved with the things I like. Being part of the International Business Club (IBC) is one of them.

Towards the end of September I received an email with an invitation to the Mr. Eduardo Vinagre’s lecture that was promoted by the IBC. Mr. Eduardo Vinagre has over 35 years of experience in global supply chain management, logistics systems, sales development, and marketing. A leader in all things related to international business, he shared his experiences with the students of all majors in that lecture. Since the lecture was advertised by the IBC, I was interested in knowing more about the student organization itself. Helmsley Manchamee, the Vice-President of IBC, gave me more information about it and how to join the club. In his words, “the goal [of the International Business Club] is to make International Business more accessible to all students”. He explained that the club aims to showcase business professionals who are successful in International Business and also promote Study Abroad programs to enhance students’ learning. IBC has monthly meetings to discuss the upcoming events and ways how people can get involved. For example, in our last meeting one of the topics was the Study Abroad Fair and we discussed who could volunteer to help in the fair.

Presentation at WTC

As a visiting international student from Brazil who is studying International Business, I decided to be part of the club because I wanted to get involved with International Business, not just with my classes, but also through experiences that I could learn from and network with people from different nationalities. The experience so far has been much more than what I expected.

One example of why being part of IBC has been such an amazing experience was the field trip to the Arkansas World Trade Center (WTC) on October 26, 2012. I wanted to visit the organization because it was the place where everything that I learned in my classes could apply to the “real world”. The President and CEO of the Arkansas WTC, Mr. Dan Hendrix, is the professor who teaches the International Management course, that I am taking here at the university. Therefore, I was interested in knowing more from the people who work at the organization.

IBC members at WTC

The Arkansas WTC is located in Rogers and provides services such as specialized global business analysis and guidance, expert trade development, customized international research, business to business match-making, and trade mission support to businesses that want to do business internationally. Twelve students participated in this field trip. We were welcomed by Mr. Herbert Morales, Director of Latin America Trade Development and Ms. Denise Thomas, Director of External Relations. Together with two interns of Arkansas WTC, they presented the mission of the organization, what they do and information about their internship program. It was an amazing presentation that answered all the questions that I had about the Arkansas WTC. I believe that going to the organization headquarter gave me a clear idea about their work and the people who work there. They are truly passionate about what they do, which inspires me as a student of International Business.

I believe that all that I have experienced so far studying at the University of Arkansas and being part of this community has already made me see the world in a different light. This is just the beginning!