Those hazy, not so lazy, days of summer
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Summer may be a time for kicking back and taking it easy, but more and more students are choosing to take advantage of those weeks away from St. Bonaventure University by completing rigorous internships, attending unique programs overseas, or setting off on adventures of a lifetime.
Here's how four SBU students carved unique niches in the summer of 2008.
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Shane Abrams: 13 weeks in New York City, 2 weeks in New Zealand
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Class2010
Hometown Oceanside, N.Y.
MajorAccounting, minor in international business
PlansEarn an MBA in accounting, embark on a business career
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.jpg "Shane with the chief and head warrior of one of the Maori tribes.") |
Shane was an intern at Zurich Financial in New York City, working primarily with the company's hedge fund team. He was required to present detailed monthly reports in front of the chief officers and other department representatives. He also updated the department's spreadsheets and balance sheets. But it wasn't all work and no play. Shane also played on the company's corporate softball team.
Shane said his two weeks in New Zealand as a study-abroad student earned him an A and three credits in a business course, "but more importantly I was able to do a multitude of activities outside the classroom that enhanced my learning experience." He went skydiving, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, attended an All Blacks rugby game, descended into a cave, and went zorbing (a New Zealand sport where you're strapped inside a large sphere, or zorb, and rolled downhill.)
"Spending two weeks in New Zealand was one of the best experiences of my life," said Shane. "I will forever hold the trip close to my heart."
Click here for more photos of Shane's adventure
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Matthew DiRisio: 2 weeks in Kansas, 2 weeks in Egypt
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Class
2010
HometownOlean, N.Y.
Major
History
PlansCommissioning in the U.S. Army through ROTC
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Matt was one of only 16 ROTC cadets selected from among thousands across the nation to attend the U.S. Army's Cadet Cultural Studies and Open Research Program, which included two weeks in Egypt as well as week-long preliminary and follow-up sessions at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Matt said his two years of Arabic language studies at St. Bonaventure prepared him for his journey of a lifetime and his first trip overseas.
"It was rewarding to have that hard work pay off. I spoke Arabic every day and took culture classes on Egypt's history." The cadets took Arabic classes at the Arabic Language Center in Cairo.
Matt's group toured the pyramids of Giza, the Sinai, the Nile delta and the Aswan high dam. "We ate Egyptian food every day and stayed in a hotel in downtown Cairo. By the end of my time there I had been fully immersed in the culture. I was able to view how America is seen through the lens of Middle Eastern culture."
Click here for more photos of Matt's adventure
Click here to read about Matt's adventure in the Olean Times Herald
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Michael Murray: 1 week in Hungary, 3 weeks on the road across America
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Class2010
HometownJacksonville, Fla.
MajorFrench, English
Plans
Graduate school or volunteer work
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Mike spent four days in Kecskemét, Hungary, where his brother was a Rotary exchange student, then traveled to Budapest for another three days. But it was his three-week road trip across the U.S. with his two best friends from high school that satisfied a young man's wanderlust and created lifelong memories. Here's part of Mike's journal entry of Aug. 4, in Alhambra, Calif.:
"I woke up real early yesterday morning to find the temperature had plummeted to about 35 degrees overnight. Shirtless, I wandered to the campground showers where 75 cents gets you nine stale minutes of lukewarm water. A few hours later, with everyone awake, we broke down our campsite and hit the road for Joshua Tree. We drove back up the California coast and stopped along the Pacific Coast Highway to dip our feet in the frigid morning ocean.
"This morning I grabbed a table outside at a nearby coffee shop. As I'm watching the city of Los Angeles begin to awake, I meditate on the last two-week odyssey. I can't help but smile at the thought of eight states, five campgrounds, three mechanics, four Mexican restaurants and one very angry bison. With this moment of pure clarity I realize that I have gone toe to toe with the fabled American West."
Click here for more photos of Mike's adventure
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Lindsay Pohlman: 7 weeks in Los Angeles, 3 weeks in Uganda
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Class
2009
HometownOrchard Park, N.Y.
MajorJournalism/Mass Communication, minor in business administration
PlansPursue an MBA at Bona's
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Lindsay spent seven weeks in Los Angeles as a communications intern at a Teach For America summer institute where they train new teachers for low-income schools across the country. She said she learned a lot and loved living in L.A.
Lindsay was also among six SBU students and a professor who traveled to Uganda through the University's chapter of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), a global volunteer-based business club.
The group worked with students and evaluated operations at a school/orphanage, and met with area farmers and traders to help solve financial problems and establish economic stability. By the end of their trip they had established the Mikwano Financial Agency, a government-registered loan program, and awarded 9 micro-loans with individual payment plans.
"Not only were we learning about the economy, but the people and the culture as well," said Lindsay. "I felt like I was in a different world. We met some of the most generous and welcoming people I have ever come across. They were singing and dancing for us, giving us gifts and sobbing when we left. This trip was an experience that has changed me for the better. It taught me about poverty, business, myself and the importance of reaching out to others."
Click here for more photos of Lindsay's adventure
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