Lindner Honors-PLUS Domestic Trip
My second-year of college flew by. It was full of incredible opportunities and experiences. One of the best experiences of my second-year was my Lindner Honors-PLUS Domestic Trip to Washington D.C. and New York. Throughout the trip, we visited various companies and viewed a multitude of landmarks and miscellaneous places. I learned new things about other cities, companies, and myself. I was able to spend almost two weeks traveling to two of the greatest cities in the world with my closest friends. Who else can say that?
Our first stop was Washington D.C. We visited companies such as Deloitte and Jones Lang Lasalle. But, I enjoyed the visit to the lobbying firm the most. We spoke with a man named Rob Elsworth who was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the causes he petitioned and firmly believed in. He provided some interesting viewpoints on gerrymandering and international business policies. We differed in some ideologies, but I respected his opinions due to the fact that he was able to validate them and offer facts and supporting points to back up his arguments. Another part of the trip I loved was visiting the monuments throughout D.C. I have not been since I was in 8th grade, so it was an incredible experience for me to see some of our countries most important landmarks. Also, I was deeply touched when we visited Arlington cemetery. I attached the sort paper I wrote on Arlington cemetery to exemplify what I learned from that experience. Arlington cemetery holds a special place in my heart because both of my grandpas and two of my uncles served our country. I was deeply moved when seeing all of the graves and realizing how many people risk their lives to ensure the freedom of the United States. It was a beautiful sight and I am so thankful for everyone who has served and will serve our wonderful country.
The next stop of our trip was New York City. New York is a magical place. I have never been before and when we arrived, I instantly fell in love. I love the hustle and bustle of the city. I want to work there after college because of how much I loved the corporate environment and the night life. There are countless things to do in New York and we discovered that it truly is the city that never sleeps. We visited companies like Bloomberg and IBM. My favorite event in New York was the dinner we had with LHP alumni. It was great to reconnect with people I had previously met and it was even better to meet new people. I love meeting alumni because they offer such amazing advice. I learned so much from them that has already benefited me and has proven to be very useful. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing various career paths and opportunities at UC with them. I still keep in touch with some of the alumni I met and am thrilled to visit New York and meet up with them again. New York definitely lived up to what I thought it would be. I will be back and hopefully soon!
I learned numerous things from this trip and it impacted me in myriad ways. I attached my Domestic Trip paper to depict what I have truly gained and learn from my experience. One important thing I learned is that I need to step outside of my comfort zone every chance I have. I learned the most when I asked questions at company visits and met new people. I have maintained a lot of the connections I made, which has developed me into a more well-rounded business person. I also learned that a change of scenery and traveling is a life-changing experience. The trip helped me grow and allowed me to become more diverse in the way that I think and in the opportunities I am seeking for myself. Traveling will open up my world and will make me have a better perspective and more intriguing viewpoints. I also grew as an individual because I built relationships and had a better idea of what I want to do with my life after I got home. I now know that I want to work in a big city, which is exciting for me because I have a direction I want my life to progress towards. The trip impacted me deeply and definitely changed who I am while making me a better, more well-rounded person. I have the traveling bug and can't wait for my international trip to Europe that will take place in the Spring of 2018.
