Guest Blogger: Meet Noorain from India!

Hi all, Rei here!

Spring break is over in a flash, and we are now getting into the second half of this semester. As I mentioned briefly in my last blog, I was in Vancouver, Canada, for six days with my friends! I had a pleasant and relaxing time in a different country, so close and yet so far from Tacoma. I hope this everyone's Spring Break was also spent in a meaningful way!

The second guest blog of the year is here! This time we welcome Noorain Nayeem, who is currently majoring in Masters in Business Administration with emphasis on Healthcare Management, as our guest! She is from Hyderabad, India and in her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and extracurricular activities. Noorain likes to explore the peaceful, vibrant, and beautiful PLU campus and loves her job on campus. As a Student Manager at Commons, a dining hall on campus, she enjoys serving food to students, working the cash register, and performing a variety of other tasks. In this blog, we asked her to answer a few questions about her life and experiences through the MBA program, which is quite different from the Undergraduate program! Those who are thinking about going to PLU Gradate School, those who are curious about what graduate students are studying, etc., will hopefully find this informative and enjoyable! 

What surprised you the most when coming to the U.S.?

The plethora of social activities and clubs available on the PLU campus pleasantly surprised me. There are several possibilities to meet other students that have similar interests and hobbies. I met folks from various nations that are similarly driven, focused, and dynamic while studying overseas. Being an international student, I have the opportunity to meet people from all cultural and social backgrounds. I enjoy interacting with individuals from all backgrounds and learning about their perspectives, this is how I have made a lot of friends both in class and at my on-campus job. Being a student in the United States, I have not only learned more about various cultures, but also came to appreciate the beauty of diversity. 

What are some specific learnings you've had in PLU's MBA program? What is your favorite part of the program?

Leadership abilities, business strategy, financial management, marketing, and entrepreneurial principles, such as idea development, business planning, and venture capital, are some of the specific things I have learned through the MBA program. The improvement of leadership abilities, such as communication, decision-making, and strategic thinking, was one of the important lessons. I also gained knowledge on effective resource management and team leadership. The program's interactive learning environment is my favorite feature. Instead of just passively receiving knowledge, the way of studying in PLU enabled me to actively participate with the subject matter.

What was your biggest challenge as an international student in PLU? And what have you tried and done to overcome them?

At first, the fast-paced setting was a little daunting, but PLU's comfortable atmosphere made it easier for me to acclimatize. I had a hard time adapting to the assignment structure, APA style writing, and grading criteria. However, the professors were always supportive to make sure I wasn't struggling to do a particular project. Although I'm not very good at public speaking, after giving presentation in class, I feel that my fear of doing so has significantly diminished. Exams, on-campus employment, and personal responsibilities occasionally made things a little too much, but planning ahead and property managing my time, I was able to balance my academic obligations with my personal and social life. 

BMW Factory in Munich! 

Tell us one of your favorite activities/experiences that you've had so far in PLU!

The MBA program at PLU involves a 10-day international experience so we went on a study abroad trip to Germany. This has got to be one of the best experiences so far. We spent four days in Berlin, taking in the city's panoramic views and engaging in academic activities that included a market immersion to better understand the distinction between German and American consumer behavior. Later, we visited the Adlershof Technology Park, where it was fascinating to observe how business and science can work together. The views from train were breathtaking as we traveled from Berlin to Munich. The BMW factory tour was among the craziest thing I did in Munich; it was incredible to witness how an actual BMW is made and put together. Later, we went to Gut Waltersteig to hear about the farm's transformation into a venue for events and the financial resources that helped make this possible. 

Lastly, what advice would you give to future lutes who are interested in enrolling at PLU?

Future Lutes who are considering enrolling at PLU should start their application process early and make sure to adhere to all deadlines and criteria. Consider looking into scholarship and financial assistance opportunities. Once you have registered, take advantage of the many chances to join clubs and organizations on campus. You may do this to expand your network of contacts, develop your talents, and generally improve your university experience. I was simply another girl with the American dream, attempting to pursue her goal of studying abroad, but PLU helped me make that dead a reality. My life has undergone an enormous transformation after moving to the United States. PLU gave me the opportunity to discover skills I had never known I possessed and fully embraced me as a young woman striving to develop her wings while learning how to fly. I am happy to call myself a LUTE and am eager to see where life leads me! 


This concludes our interview with Noorain. Thank you Noorain for your cooperation in this blog and we wish her more and more success in the U.S.!

-Rei

Guest Post: Hansel visits Starbucks Headquarters

Photo: Hansel

Hansel is a Graduate student at PLU, originally from Vietnam. He is currently working with the Student Involvement and Leadership department as the assistant director of social media and technology while pursuing Masters degree in Marketing Research. Over Spring Break 2016, he was able to visit Starbucks Headquarters, along with several other international students. Read about his experience below!

"Over the spring break 2016, I had a chance to visit Starbucks headquarters - or often called Starbucks Support Center (SSC) - with several fellow students from Pacific Lutheran University. The trip was made possible by the PLU Career Connections in collaboration with Dinning & Culinary Servicesand Alumni & Constituent Relations.

As a graduate student in the Master of Science in Marketing Research, naturally I am interested in learning how businesses create, develop, and mange their brands. At the moment when I learn about this trip to the SSC, I knew that it would be an incredible learning experience. So without any hesitance I reached out to reserve my spot. I was pretty excited to get a sneak peak behind the scenes of the brand that I love.

The day started off early at 8:00 AM. We met at PLU campus and then travelled together to the SSC, which is located in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. When arriving at 9:30 AM, we were greeted and welcomed by Tuan Tran, who was our tour guide for the day. He provided us with name tags and helped us check into the building.

Photo: Hansel

The visit stared with a welcome presentation by Tuan. He is a Branded Solution senior manager of Starbucks. Tuan also briefly shared with us some insights into different product lines and brand extensions of Starbucks. He would then hand off to another senior manager, who delivered a presentation on Starbucks’ ethical practices in coffee sourcing.

My group then went on a tour to some public areas within the SSC. It is quite a typical corporate office space with meeting rooms, common kitchens, long hallways and open space offices with cubicles next to each other. I noticed that each floor is named after a major product categories ever offered by Starbucks, and each meeting room is named after a specific drink. The interior design is quite nice with a warm tone and cozy atmosphere. There are some Starbucks touches here and there but not excessive.

Majority of the staff that I saw in the building were young, friendly, and pretty energetic. They moved fast, traveled in pairs, and multitasked. I also noticed that most people here traveled from floor to floor using stairs instead of elevator — thumbs up! Also, there are more than 20 PLU alumni currently working at Starbucks Support Center (as of April 2016)! Thats pretty cool!

There is one Starbucks counter at every floor — gosh, I wish I worked here. The cafeteria is nicely decorated with same design cues often seen at a Starbucks store. There are graphics on the walls featuring Starbucks’ mission statement and core values, images of old building of the SSC, and the first Starbucks store at Pike Place Market.

We also stopped by the Coffee Lab where every single Starbucks coffee was tested and developed. Brandon — a coffee expert — shared with us that on a typical day he would taste between 400–700 cups of coffee. The team at Coffee Lab often start their day pretty early at 5:30 AM.

Photo: Hansel

As a part of the tour, we attended a coffee workshop where we were given lessons about different types of coffee and techniques that experts use to taste test coffee. We also learn that each kind of coffee grown at different regions around the world has its own unique flavor. All factors — water, soil, heat, and growing techniques — directly affect the coffee quality and flavor.

We also got to try five different coffee blends: the Nicaragua, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Komodo Dragon, and No. 11 Microblend. Among them the Ethiopia and No. 11 are rare and can only be found at Starbucks Reserve stores, fine dining restaurants, or exclusive corporate offices such as Google or Facebook. It was the first time in my life that I could distinguish aroma and taste of different coffee. I could describe those flavors in familiar senses such as cinnamon, vanilla, berry, or floral. I myself preferred the soft body and honey like sweet note of the Nicaragua coffee.

Photo: Hansel

The last part of our visit was to meet with PLU alumni who are currently working at the SSC. They are all from different departments — marketing, finance, IT, and corporate legal — and have been working at the SSC between 4 to 11 years. I enjoyed every second of the 45-minute panel but felt that it went by too fast.

It was interested to learn that working schedule is pretty flexible for most employees to accommodate personal life matters. In marketing areas, employees are encouraged to change roles every 6–8 years to gain new perspectives. It is very helpful for a candidate to have recommendation from current employees. Starbucks culture is to stay humble and look forward.

Before we heading back home, I made a quick stop to the Coffee Gear Store to pick up some goodies. The store is quite small but offers some unique Starbucks merchandises that cannot be found anywhere else. There are apparel, office stationaries, bags, keychains, etc. This store is open to the public and located on the 8th floor of the SSC.

The visit to SSC was a success. I learn so much in just one day. I highly encourage any students to look out for opportunities like this as it offers tremendous value to acquire insights into a company. Meeting with the current employees helps me identify the essential competences that I need to invest and grow.

Last note, I was recommended to try Kenya for iced coffee. 

Hansel"

To see more of Hansel's amazing Starbucks photos go here.
To read more from Hansel visit here.

Guest Post: Sean's takeaways from the CFA Research Challenge!

This week we have a special guest posting on the international student blog. In this article, my friend Sean will be talking about his experience doing the CFA Research Challenge and his main takeaways. Enjoy!!!

                                                                *****

                                            

Hello everyone, my name is Sean Lechleiter and I am currently enrolled in the MSF program here at Pacific Lutheran University. PLU has a wide variety of extracurricular activities allowing students to supplement their educational experience. I recently had the opportunity to represent PLU, along with my friend Pape, at the CFA Research Challenge, a global finance competition. Over the course of the past few months, our team conducted extensive financial analysis on Esterline, a Bellevue based aerospace and defense company. After completing our analysis and valuation, our team completed a report and defended our recommendation in front of a panel of industry experts. While our participation in the competition recently came to a close after placing third in the local level competition, the opportunity provided valuable experience for our team as we enter a career in Finance.

           

Along with developing our analytical skills, I learned how to thrive in a team setting while accomplishing our goals as a group. Effective teamwork is an essential aspect of any team or organization. For anyone interested in participating in the CFA Research Challenge, or a similar project, there are several key takeaways you must consider.

• ·         Utilize provided resources- Participants are provided with a professional and academic mentor willing to assist the team throughout the process. Constant communication with these mentors will ensure the team is on track and progressing towards their end goal. Additionally, participants are given a valuation book to assist with their project. Team members will make the most of their experience by using all resources available to them.

• ·         Get to know each team member- Developing relationships with each team member will ensure everyone’s strengths are being utilized correctly. Learning about everyone’s interests and strengths will allow the team to divide up roles and let each member contribute according to their skillset.

• ·        Determine and meet deadlines- Completing large projects with multiple components can feel overwhelming. The best way to approach the project is to break it into pieces and set a schedule with periodic deadlines. Working on the project for a specified amount of time each day or week will prevent waiting until the last minute to complete the project.

The CFA Research Challenge is just one example of the many extracurricular activities PLU offers. I found the process of completing this project to be an extremely rewarding learning experience with many lessons learned along the way.

Sean Lechleiter

Pictures of the final competition are not out yet, but please look out for them in the coming posts. 

Thanks for reading and have a great semester you all!

Your friend, 
Pape M. Samba