I was able to study already two times abroad during my studies at the University of Trier. Both times I went to the United States. There I had some very good experiences with persons from different kinds of cultures. The pinnacle of my master studies was the MEST stay at the LSE. To increase my knowledge about the people from the United Kingdom and to study at one of the top universities in the world was a very special experience. My courses contained country-comparisons of different labour market systems, different national education systems, collective actions by employers and many more topics to increase my stock of knowledge. I was especially impressed by the work in small groups and the weekly work on topics in the seminars as well as the dedication of the students. The stay abroad helped me to acquire additional economic knowledge and it allowed me to see first hand how teaching is conducted at such a prominent university. Both, I am certain, will help me to develop a good teaching style in the doctoral program at the Texas A&M University and it helps me to grow using this very good foundation in economics and business.

After spending two Erasmus semesters in France, I was excited to get to know more of Europe and the different cultures it has to offer. During my business administration master program at the University of Trier, I was given the perfect chance to live in another country: Dublin, Ireland. With the possibility to get to learn about and experience the Irish culture, meet the friendly Irish people, and at the same time earn a double degree, I couldn’t pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity. I spent the semester at University College of Dublin studying in the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. I soon made new friends from all parts of the world and enjoyed living on campus with the other students. My courses challenged me tremendously and I learned a lot in just my short time there. Through approaching subjects differently compared to my previous studies, I learned a whole new perspective on business.  I even had the chance to work with an Irish company. Through this project our team looked for an international strategy to enter Indonesia’s market with the company’s products. Besides working on a strategic plan for Indonesia, I also worked on international studies in Singapore, Russia, Hungary, among others, which gave me a perspective on business models and industries from all over the world. After returning to Germany, I started my master thesis called “job satisfaction and job turnover in Switzerland.” After I finished my thesis, I started a trainee program in marketing for one of Germany’s biggest breweries. When applying for jobs, companies were interested in this international experience I had been a part of because of the rigor of the program and the knowledge I had gained about the international market. This experience is all thanks to the MEST (ELMS) program, which allowed me to immerse myself in a new culture and to challenge myself academically giving me an advantage in my new job.