I spent the spring semester of 2023 studying business in Montpellier, France. The city is of about 300,000 people and is known for its young atmosphere. Despite a language barrier, I was welcomed and immersed in the French culture and bureaucracy.

I purposefully chose a program that I did not already know anyone in my cohort. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made, as I was able to lead with an open mind and begin new friendships.

I traveled to Spain, England, Italy, Malta, Belgium, and Ireland over the 6 months. I overcame the challenges of traveling alone and abroad. I have found a passion for traveling and learning about different cities and cultures. I hope to return to Montpellier, France this Spring.

I took part in DECA throughout my junior and senior years at Orono High School. My team and I qualified for the International DECA Career Conference for two consecutive years with our Business Marketing Project taking 3rd at the state conference and our Community Awareness Chapter Project taking 1st. DECA taught me patience, time management, and trust as working on a group project for 6 months can be emotionally and physically draining.

Unfortunately, we were not able to compete in the Spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, but we were projected to qualify for the top 15 Community Awareness Chapter Projects in the world. I have come to terms with not knowing how successful our project was at the international level and thank my mentors, Kieth Jurek, and Sarah Noznesky, for their continued support.

Throughout my 4 years at the University of Minnesota, I immersed myself in a wide range of educational experiences. Through BACH in the Carlson School of Management, I was able to attend many panels given by professionals in the healthcare field. These panels helped me better understand their roles and opinions of the healthcare marketplace. I also was active in philanthropic activities as President and Founder of Letters of Love University of Minnesota chapter.

I have developed self-discipline, time management, advanced organization techniques, and interpersonal communication skills with the volume of information, assignments, and events I attended. With my passions residing in healthcare, I look forward to furthering my education in Healthcare Administration in the future.