Student Organization Volunteers In Chile

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (May 18, 2007) – A student organization associated with Penn State's Smeal College of Business recently took part in an international service trip to Chile, leading business and language courses for Chilean students and studying the nation's economy with a former government official.

Four members of Students in Free Enterprise spent a week in the country living with host families to absorb the local culture. They also toured Santiago and took excursions to a winery, an artisan market, and a seaside resort town.

During each day, the students would take Spanish classes, and then lead courses for Chilean students on the English language, American business customs, and personal finance. The Smeal students also spent one morning studying the Chilean economy and other Latin American economies with Jorge Rodríguez-Grossi, the country's former minister of economy and energy.

In the evenings, the students would typically spend time with their host families discussing Chilean and American culture or socializing with other students.

The SIFE members organized the trip through Bridge-Linguatec, a company specializing in language immersion trips for students between South America and the United States. It's the third time that Penn State's SIFE chapter has embarked on such a service trip. In the past, the group visited Ecuador and Puerto Rico.

"These trips are a great opportunity to learn firsthand about various cultures and the international business world," said Dave Kraus, vice president of Penn State SIFE and a senior majoring in finance and economics. "International experience like this is so valuable today, and it's given me a different perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in the global economy."

Dan Farrell, a junior majoring in finance who is incoming president of Penn State SIFE, said one of the best parts of the experience for him was being completely immersed in a foreign culture. He said he was particularly intrigued by how marketing and advertising efforts were so closely tied to the Chilean culture.

Joining Farrell and Kraus on the trip were Wendy Shi, a sophomore majoring in finance and film, and Meredith Frey, a senior in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development. The students were accompanied by Smeal staff members Jack Latham, coordinator of student and corporate services, and Jessica Sremanak, assistant director of corporate relations.

Penn State's chapter of Students in Free Enterprise, one of Smeal's more than 30 student organizations, provides professional development and community outreach opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded students. SIFE is a global nonprofit organization active in more than 40 countries.