Smartest college decision

This post was written by Rebecca Ridenour detailing her 2007 EUSA London Internship

When I applied for EUSA’s study abroad program, I did it on a whim.  One of my friends and I had toyed with the idea of doing internships in London through the EUSA program, and the day before our applications were due, we said, ‘were we going to do that?’  I set out working on a CV, an essay, and various other parts of the application that night. I thought, well I’ll turn it in if I get it done.  I was a sophomore at the UW applying to the Foster School.  I was a fairly confident person but not when it came to getting into the business school, picking a concentration, or deciding where I wanted my career to go.

The experience and confidence gained by participating in the EUSA internship program was life changing.  I spent a summer in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, working on a multi-million dollar project at Barclays Wealth and being truly responsible for myself.

I feel like I “grew up” in a professional, mature sense.  I learned so much about myself, my abilities, my interests, and really what I am capable of.

I returned to UW last fall confident in myself, the concentration I was picking, and my ability to start an exciting career in finance after graduation.  When I look back at the personal development that took place in a matter of months, I am astonished.  Interning abroad in London was a blast, and one of the smartest things I’ve done in college.