I came back from Brazil filled with gratitude for the sacrifices of everyone who supported me and made the experience possible. Thank you!
Since my return (to the United States), I have continued to reflect on why going on such a trip was important to me, and how it was beneficial. As an international student who has been away from home for nearly eight years, international business is something I think of a decent amount and have thought about even more in the last year or two. This is mainly because I am often asked – and have asked myself – if and when I will return to Ghana. Although I am unsure of the answer to that question, I recognize that so far, my business experience and education have been from the United States. I have also considered the idea of other expatriate assignments in the future. As such, when this study abroad trip came up, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from and interact with professionals on the ground doing business and managing human resources in a different context than that of the United States.
Being in the human resources field, it was very insightful to hear from experienced professionals at multinational firms such as KPMG and Robert Half about how their HR practices and policies are designed to meet the needs of the Brazilian workforce. I also benefited from visiting and experiencing different business settings and learning how HR is tailored to the needs of different industries. Our group was fortunate to have business visits spanning various industries, including financial and tax services, mining, media, executive recruiting, sustainable fashion, oil, gas and energy, etc. One of my favorite visits was to the mining company, Vale. Even though Vale mines iron, nickel and manganese, hearing about how this company supports its employees with various resources and amenities reminded me of growing up in the small mining town of Obuasi, Ghana, where both of my parents worked for the gold mining company there. I realized how most, if not all, of the resources I took for granted growing up were likely thought of and designed by the HR department. I was inspired!
Finally, a trip to Rio de Janeiro would not have been complete without tours to Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf mountains, Ipanema Hippie Fair, Jardim Botânico and Parque Lage, among other sights! Our hotel was located just across from Copacabana Beach, and it was delightful to take in some beautiful beach sunrises and sunsets! I also attended two masses which were entirely in Portuguese!
From walking through a small part of the Atlantic Forest to finding Ghana’s flag on a tile at the Selaron steps (I also found Ohio, St. Anthony, Princess Diana tiles and many more) and everything in between, it was a truly great experience!