A minority in my own country?

We have recruited several students from the International Business School to contribute to the blog. These students will be sharing their personal reflections about “global experiences,” both inside and outside the classroom.

Emily Geismar just started her MA program in International Economics and Finance. After acquiring her Bachelors in Economics from University of Southern Maine, she worked for a while and eventually took some time off to travel in and around Australia. As Emily transitions back into the academic atmosphere, she shares her journey with us while studying at Brandeis.

Hey everyone!

Well here we go…my first blog…ever. Yup, I know that sounds strange coming from a conventional member for generation Y.

But it’s true…

So who am I?

My name is Emily; I’m starting my MA in international economics and finance at the Brandeis International Business School (IBS). Originally from Maine, I studied economics at the University of Southern Maine. Also kept busy running Track and Field, playing soccer, being a part of SIFE (students in free enterprise), and enjoying college life. From there I went to work at a small non-profit in Cambridge, MA, researching the workers comp system…interesting? Actually it is! More of that later…Anyways, I jumped ship and went traveling for a year in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Most amazing experience of my life! So, having said that, I consider myself traveled enough to say global, but looking forward to the continued diversity that Brandeis offers.

But back to reality, I always knew grad school was in my near future and I feel SO lucky to be in a place as international and diverse as Brandeis.

A minority in my own country?

You betcha! And you know what? I REALLY like it! With an incoming class of 200+ students coming from over 60 countries, I have heard that only about 45 are representing the home team (team USA!). A lot of people ask me how I feel about it; my response: it’s awesome! Now don’t get me wrong, gotta love the good ol’ U.S. of A., especially when my foreign friends tell me that girls don’t play soccer (oh the horror!), but I also think that we need to take advantage of the opportunity from each other. Especially in today’s times, it has been demonstrated that we might not have all the answers. It’s time to get out of the box and work together to come up with new ideas, and I think bringing multiple countries together will allow many new ideas to cultivate. And if nothing else, I just got a whole new long list of vacation places to visit!

I’m really excited to get to meet everyone. There’s a lot to learn – both in hitting the books and being surrounded by so many different nations in a small environment.

I’m also looking forward to getting involved and being a part of the extensive club, speaker, and social events IBS has to offer. This past week has been a whirlwind of meetings (Toastmasters, ALPFA, and International Women Business Club – all hosting introduction meetings to get to know more about them) as well as career speakers from MeadWestvaco talking about their company. And don’t forget the MLS Revolution game over the weekend, get ready to cheer!