Living Entrepreneurship Blog / Global & Multicultural

UG Chile Elective Abroad – Unique Experience and Privilege!

This article was written by Mercedes Sierra ’15, an Education Abroad Peer Advisor who participated in the UG Chile Elective Abroad this past Fall 

UG Chile

After having done a Semester Abroad in Paris, I knew I wanted to try an Elective Abroad, and I am extremely proud and honored to have been part of the first group of students to attend the Elective Abroad – Contemporary Strategic Issues in Chile. This course was organized by Professor Sims and it was truly a learning experience!

It was a long flight travelling from the United States, but definitely worth it. Travelling as a group made it all better being a bonding experience for all of us before we even arrived to the country of Chile. Everyone took advantage of the 12 days making it a unique journey from the first moment we landed starting with a scavenger hunt throughout the major spots of the city. Everyone in Chile was very friendly, welcoming, and well educated. The culture is just wonderful!

Why Chile? Chile is a country that has been growing and developing little by little with all the many assets it has. It already is a great place for entrepreneurs to live in and be part of the culture to make this country a major hub. Chile’s government-created program “Start-Up Chile” is just the beginning, and it focuses on attracting early-stage high potential entrepreneurs to start their startups in Chile as a platform to go global. This program has the end goal of positioning Chile as the innovation and entrepreneurship hub of Latin America. This is the perfect environment for a Babson College student, being #1 in Entrepreneurship and so focused on global diversity. This program was just one of the many things I learned while taking classes, doing research and presentations, and visiting well-known companies in the country such as Google, Antofagasta, CellStar, and social enterprise Fundación Origen. It was such a privilege!

In conclusion, my Chile Elective Abroad Experience was wonderful and I would recommend it to every student at Babson! It is a unique experience and incomparable, both a semester abroad and an elective abroad! It will make you a better-rounded individual and will help you grow personally and professionally.