Glavin Student Spotlight: Andrea Murray
Andrea with Malaysian students
Each month, the Glavin Office spotlights one student who is having impactful experiences around multicultural, international, and global perspectives. Andrea Murray, a current Senior who is involved on campus as an Academic Mentor, Event Management intern, Senior Week Committee member, Peer Mentor, Exchange Ambassador, and a member of the Babson Dance Ensemble, weaves her experience abroad into her daily life and studies at Babson. Read her story below:
Where is your hometown?
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
What’s one assignment/project that you are currently or working on that you are excited about as a result of your global experiences?
As a student concentrating in Global Business Management, I have completed an assortment of projects regarding my global experiences. From creating survival guides in different continents, to writing papers based on culture, gender, religion, and education I have used my global experiences to enhance these assignments. I currently used my global experience to receive a job offer from a privately-held, multi-billion dollar, global investment firm. I am hoping to be placed in the departments—global operations and global development at the end of my rotational program.
Would you tell us about your experiences abroad and what you learned?
During my college career I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to travel on four Babson abroad programs, entailing one semester abroad and three elective abroads. I started to have the abroad fever after travelling to Ireland with my family freshman year. As a sophomore, I was chosen in a highly competitive process to travel to Ghana and teach entrepreneurship to high school Ghanaian students. This hands-on learning experience taught me how to look at life from different perspectives. Although I was there to teach, I believe I left the country learning more than I could have ever taught my students. This experience triggered my interests to travel abroad my junior year where I went across the world and spent a semester studying in Australia. I spent five months in this beautiful country, and it was the longest I have ever been away from home. I finally gained a larger sense of independence and freedom, along with responsibility. I enjoyed waking up every day and going on new adventures while trying to meet as many new people as I possibly could. When I returned after my tremendous experience I then traveled to Malaysia through an offshore course program and learned about corporate social responsibility. My team on this trip, consisting of both Babson and Malaysian college students, was an extremely tight-knit group. This trip focused on Malaysia’s multicultural environment, which allowed me to directly view the interactions between three prime cultures within a classroom environment—Malays, Chinese, and Indians. My group’s project theme was to strengthen the unity within the school, which we positively displayed through cultural games, dance, music, and art. The level of hospitality we received from our students made me feel extremely happy and I felt that they greatly appreciated our services. Now as a senior, I recently just returned from an elective abroad trip to London. When I was overseas, I along with about thirty other students learned about London Theater. I stepped completely outside of my comfort zone during the acting workshops, because I never had acting experience before. I loved this program because it made me appreciate and respect theater and find a new passion I have for acting!
Andrea with Dennis Hanno in Ghana
How has your experience abroad influenced/reinforced your future goals?
My experiences abroad have influenced my future goals because they made me realize that I do want to live abroad for a majority of my life. As a senior, I only applied to large global firms because I want to be able to gain a global experience through my work.
What recognitions/media coverage here at Babson or back home have you received?
- Opening Ceremony Class of 2017: I gave a positive speech about my global experience at Babson College to the Class of 2017 and their parents.
- Viewer’s Choice 1st Place: When I was abroad in Australia I photographed a tiger and my picture allowed me to win first place for viewer’s choice during Babson’s Abroad Photo-contest.
- Babson Dean’s Leadership and Achievement Award: I received this award for my excellence in scholarship, participation and leadership, citizenship and service during my college career. My abroad experiences were highlighted when I was presented the award during the 2013 Undergraduate Awards Ceremony.