2008 Woodie Awards
Students prepare to experience Argentina
Alex Lawson, Daily Vidette Staff
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: News
Six students in the College of Business will be traveling to Argentina this summer to hone their international business consult skills as a part of the 2008 Summer Export Project.
Professors Peter Kaufman and Iris Varner secured the two-year $165,000 federal grant to support this kind of international business opportunity.
"This is one of those programs that gives students an opportunity to develop and acquire many important life skills," Kaufman said. "It's an opportunity that most students who graduate from college wouldn't be able to have for five to ten years."
The students who will travel to Argentina are Rosanna Fugate, Natalie Drew, Laura Kane and Michelle Prinsloo, all senior international business majors. Also participating will be Michelle Kodat, a senior marketing major, and Tim Schmidgall, a senior agribusiness major.
Kane also carries a Spanish minor and she explained her excitement about being involved with the project and the great opportunity it presents.
"I wanted to obtain more experience that would allow me to apply what I have learned so far in my academic career," Kane explained. "This experience also helps me set myself apart from other students who are trying to get jobs in a really competitive market."
The students, along with Kaufman and marketing professor Horace Melton, will leave for Buenos Aires on May 31 and they will spend four weeks doing consult work for Maui Jim, a premium sunglass company based in Peoria, and The Carus Corporation, a water purification company based in Peru, Ill.
"These are outstanding companies," Kaufman explained. "Maui Jim is growing extremely rapidly and we're looking at trying to help them figure out where they might put a distribution center in Argentina."
Kaufman explained that the students' primary goal while working for their clients will be to build a market entry model, which comprises all the factors a company needs to consider when opening in a foreign market.
"Considering the fact that they're going to be opening in five markets in the next three years, it's kind of a big deal," Kaufman said.
Melton is so dedicated to making the most of the trip that he is currently learning Spanish at Heartland Community College before they leave in May.
The grant that Kaufman and Varner attained will cover the cost of lodging, food and local transportation. The students will receive three credit hours for their work over the summer.
Kaufman is extremely excited about the upcoming Summer Export Project, and also made it explicitly clear that they are already looking for the best and brightest students to participate in next summer's program, where the student participation is expected to double from six to 12.
Those interested should contact Dr. Varner, whose information is available on the college of business Web site.
Professors Peter Kaufman and Iris Varner secured the two-year $165,000 federal grant to support this kind of international business opportunity.
"This is one of those programs that gives students an opportunity to develop and acquire many important life skills," Kaufman said. "It's an opportunity that most students who graduate from college wouldn't be able to have for five to ten years."
The students who will travel to Argentina are Rosanna Fugate, Natalie Drew, Laura Kane and Michelle Prinsloo, all senior international business majors. Also participating will be Michelle Kodat, a senior marketing major, and Tim Schmidgall, a senior agribusiness major.
Kane also carries a Spanish minor and she explained her excitement about being involved with the project and the great opportunity it presents.
"I wanted to obtain more experience that would allow me to apply what I have learned so far in my academic career," Kane explained. "This experience also helps me set myself apart from other students who are trying to get jobs in a really competitive market."
The students, along with Kaufman and marketing professor Horace Melton, will leave for Buenos Aires on May 31 and they will spend four weeks doing consult work for Maui Jim, a premium sunglass company based in Peoria, and The Carus Corporation, a water purification company based in Peru, Ill.
"These are outstanding companies," Kaufman explained. "Maui Jim is growing extremely rapidly and we're looking at trying to help them figure out where they might put a distribution center in Argentina."
Kaufman explained that the students' primary goal while working for their clients will be to build a market entry model, which comprises all the factors a company needs to consider when opening in a foreign market.
"Considering the fact that they're going to be opening in five markets in the next three years, it's kind of a big deal," Kaufman said.
Melton is so dedicated to making the most of the trip that he is currently learning Spanish at Heartland Community College before they leave in May.
The grant that Kaufman and Varner attained will cover the cost of lodging, food and local transportation. The students will receive three credit hours for their work over the summer.
Kaufman is extremely excited about the upcoming Summer Export Project, and also made it explicitly clear that they are already looking for the best and brightest students to participate in next summer's program, where the student participation is expected to double from six to 12.
Those interested should contact Dr. Varner, whose information is available on the college of business Web site.
Be the first to comment on this story