My time at USC and abroad has taught me a lot about people.  I have worked with many diverse groups of people with my internships, school projects, and semester abroad.  While I have learned to appreciate different perspectives, I also have found value in discovering similarities.  Although students all over the world have many differences, we are more alike than different and can always find common ground and relate to one another. 

I took a Global Competitive Analysis course at USC and the main goal of this class was to critically evaluate the strategy of a specific multinational company.  By doing this, I saw how a specific company altered the way it does business to meet the needs of its international customers.  I also was able to see the commonalities between doing business in the US and globally and realized that there are more commonalities than I thought there would be.  By the end of the course, I gained something bigger than just an understanding of multinational companies.  I saw how alike students from all over the world really are.  We had a semester long group project in this course, and I worked with a diverse group of students, including international students.  I noticed how apprehensive these international students were to speak up in the beginning of the semester.  I thought back to my time abroad and noticed that I acted in a very similar way.   Initially during my time abroad, I was worried I was not as smart as the Spanish or other international students and doubted my opinions.  As the semester went on and I felt more at home in Spain, I started to speak up more and became more confident.  When I realized the international students in my class at USC might be feeling the same way, I really worked to help integrate them not only into the classroom but also into social life at USC.  Through my experiences in both the classroom at USC and the classroom in Spain, I have built a deeper understanding of the similarities students share all over the world and can empathize with international students as they face challenges.

I am also part of an international mentor program at USC where I meet with students studying abroad occasionally and act as a friend and resource for them during their time abroad.  We will meet to grab coffee or lunch and usually spend a while talking about simple things like TV or sports.  During my time with these students, I notice many similarities between us.  A similarity could be that we both are obsessed with Cristiano Ronaldo or that we share a love for Cook-Out Milkshakes (newly developed love for the international student).  I read and hear stories in the news that point out differences between people across the world.  Many people view differences as a negative thing and see them as causes for conflict.  While I believe it is important to recognize differences and gain an understanding of different perspectives, I also think it is phenomenal that there are many similarities.  I believe these similarities can tie us together and help the world become a more peaceful place. 

I think my understanding of cultural differences and similarities will help me in the future in my work and social life abroad.  I have learned how to empathize with international students because I have been in the same situation as them.  This empathy can help me understand why there may be a conflict.  For example, during the start of the project I thought one of the international students did not care about the project because he was not actively participating.  When I looked back to my time in Spain and understood he was being hesitant because he felt out of place, I learned how to help him become a part of the group.  I think I can carry this through to the way I will one day do business with other cultures.  I will always remember that, ultimately, we have all been in similar situations at one point or another.  

I include pictures of two of my friends Facebook statuses.  One of my friends is a colleague here at USC and the other is a friend I studied with abroad.  She is from France.  Both statuses were reactions to the terror attacks in Brussels in March.  The reactions were similar.  Both prayed for the people in Belgium and hoped for a better and kinder world.  Seeing both of their statuses again reminded me of the similarities people from across the world share and how we can all come together.  I also include a screenshot from a WhatsApp message.  It is a chat with about 30 international students and we are talking about throwing a party to celebrate the end of the semester.  We were all very different but became great friends during the course of the semester, showing that although there are great differences in cultures, it is possible to find similarities. 

Finally, I provide a description of the consulting project from the syllabus for my Global Competitive Analysis class.  The consulting project taught me about the process for exporting goods to a foreign country and how to adapt and work internationally.