Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - A new Stephen F. Austin State University study abroad course sponsored by the Rusche College of Business is introducing incoming first-year students and non-business majors to business concepts and principles as well as other cultures over the summer.
鈥淣o matter a student鈥檚 major, that student will most likely either work for someone else鈥檚 business, start their own or both,鈥 said Drew Thornley, 糖心vlog传媒 associate professor of legal studies and a co-instructor for the course. 鈥淲e want to better equip these students for their professional lives, regardless of their future paths.鈥
Unlike 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 other business study abroad trips, the 鈥淒iscovering Business鈥 course requires no previous knowledge of business, said Dr. Ryan Phelps, 糖心vlog传媒 associate professor of economics and a co-instructor for the course. As part of the class, students also conduct interviews with the founding entrepreneurs of several local businesses.
鈥淏usiness intersects with all of our lives. Understanding the ways that interacting with businesses improves our lives and potentially stalls our progress is vital in today鈥檚 technology-driven world,鈥 Phelps said. 鈥淭his course is designed to help students see the world from the perspective of a business and to enable them to be more sophisticated consumers and more strategic entrepreneurs.鈥
Four of the nine students on the Aug. 8-14 trip started their first year of college at the end of August. Thornley, who studied abroad before his first year of college, wanted to help create the same opportunity for 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 incoming first-year students.
鈥淎s was true for me, studying abroad before starting college can ease one鈥檚 transition from high school to college,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t allows students to meet faculty and other students with whom they can form a bond prior to stepping foot on campus in the fall. We wholeheartedly believe that, if our program grows, it can be an invaluable tool for student recruitment and retention.鈥
During the trip, the students traveled to Costa Rican sites, including Fruter铆a Kristal in Gu谩piles, Palmitour in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqu铆, a pineapple tour in Pital, a chocolate factory tour in La Fortuna, the Tirimbina Biological Reserve and Rainforest Lodge in Sarapiqu铆, the community of Juanilama, and the capital city of San Jose.
鈥淭hese transformational study abroad experiences accelerate the learning process and are at the heart of 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 vision,鈥 Phelps said. 鈥淭he world is a big place and being able to experience more of it instills a sense of freedom, a sense of possibility. This growth-oriented mindset is an indispensable asset for personal development.鈥
Nykia Benit of Dallas, who was an incoming first-year student during the trip, plans to major in hospitality administration with a focus on culinary arts.
鈥淭here were endless opportunities for me to learn about different cuisine, management, homemaking and hospitality skills,鈥 Benit said. 鈥淚 can truly say this trip impacted my future career choices. I look forward to studying abroad again.鈥
Cahlia Hordge of Forney, another incoming first-year student during the trip, discovered the tenacity business owners need to be successful.
鈥淚 learned that businesses are formed through the determination of the founders,鈥 Hordge said. 鈥淓ach business owner started from the bottom and found creative ways to build their business.鈥
These types of reflections by students in the course have ensured it will be offered annually at a new destination each year right before the fall semester begins.
鈥淪tudying abroad creates opportunities for students to respond to challenges in positive ways and to become more adaptable,鈥 Thornley said. 鈥淚t increases their self-confidence and, hopefully, gives them new friends for life.鈥
For more information on this study abroad opportunity, email Thornley at thornleyam@sfasu.edu or visit .
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers鈥 college in Texas鈥 oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges 鈥 business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 糖心vlog传媒 enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 36 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor鈥檚 degrees, more than 40 master鈥檚 degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.