The Opportunity of a Lifetime in San Francisco! PART 2
After a competitive application process in the fall of 2017, a group of twenty-four selected undergrads this January embarked on their “Semester Away” in San Francisco. Two months in, the cohort has made countless amazing memories from their adventures in the City by the Bay. I am really excited to count myself among these students, and I look forward to sharing some of our experiences with you guys!
In terms of structure, the program for the undergrads in SF is unique. We take four classes in total, focused on design thinking, consulting, history and theater. One could argue that our classroom is San Francisco itself, as we partake in many tours and treks throughout the city. For instance, we have already visited Facebook, Google, YouTube, Airbnb and Uber. However, the majority of our classes take place at Babson´s San Francisco campus, which is located in the start-up hub SoMa.
Although most of the teaching in our history and theater classes are done via telepresence, Professors Schmitz and Wynstra fly out to SF three weekends each to have face-to-face classes with the cohort. In these face-to-face meetings, we get to experience and take in the fascinating culture of the Bay Area. Together with Professor Schmitz, we have toured Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Alcatraz and North Beach. Each of these places has offered a unique perspective of SF. Professor Wynstra´s first face-to-face called for a remarkable Beach Blanket Babylon performance. Furthermore, she brought us all the way to Walnut Creek, where we explored the great American playwright Eugene O’Neill’s former estate, Tao House. In O´Neill´s barn, which now is a stage, we even wrote and acted out our own plays!
In Professor Cohen´s consulting class, the cohort has been divided into six groups, each working with a client in the Bay Area (ClassPass, Softbank (two groups), Cradle-to-cradle, Kahuna or Humanyze). Before spring break, all groups had their mid-term presentation with their client, which led to key insights on how to excel with the projects going forward.
As for Professor Ussery´s “Silicon Valley Tech Ventures”, we are focusing on creating our own companies. Some of the industries our companies are revolutionizing include e-commerce, travel and fitness. One of our ventures, Lou, even got the opportunity to pitch to some of Silicon Valley´s investors at Rocket Pitch in March. Rachel Pardue, representing Lou, did an awesome job pitching, and sure made the rest of the cohort proud!
The “Semester Away” in San Francisco has not just been great at school, it has also provided the cohort with opportunities to see new places and enjoy life outside of college. Personally, I have visited Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks, the Painted Ladies, Delores Park, Sausalito, etc. Furthermore, I have been to a Golden State Warriors game, and I am going to see the Giants together with the cohort in April. As you can see, we are having an amazing time here in SF! I simply cannot wait for us to continue this incredible journey.
Hans Christian Lyngholm
Student Leader + Exchange Student
Babson Semester in San Francisco Spring 2018
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Interested in studying in San Francisco? Apply for Spring 2019!
Learn more about Babson’s campus in the West Coast here.