marielbalo – Global & Experiential Education

Parlez-vous le Français?

marielbaloJanuary 14, 2020February 25, 2020

Written by Matthew Rodgers, MS. International Business '21

These last few days in Grenoble have been nothing short of incredible. There hasn’t been a single dull moment between departing from Dulles International Airport last week and today. I decided to fly through Geneva, Switzerland since the city is relatively close to Grenoble, France, my final destination for this trip. My travel plans quickly unraveled upon landing in Geneva when I learned that the train I had booked from Geneva to Grenoble was cancelled due to the strikes across France. After a few hours of checking train schedules, bus schedules, and working with the locals, I was able to book a train to Lyon, France and a second train from Lyon to Grenoble. I also quickly learned that my French is rather weak and that I need to work on it as much as possible while staying in Grenoble. Luckily the workers in both Geneva and Lyon were friendly and willing to speak broken French and English with me.

The following morning marked day one of classes at Grenoble Ecole De Management. Orientation was led Carole Gally, an advisor at the school who is incredibly kind and knowledgeable. During this orientation we learned about the school, the city of Grenoble, French culture, and the French language. While discussing French culture, Ms. Gally went into detail on the strikes that are taking place across France. Fortunately, it sounded like I was the only student who had issues on the way into France. During orientation the students from George Washington University, Duke University and University of North Carolina introduced ourselves and quickly became friends over lunch. We ended the day with a short French lesson, practicing basic phrases like how to order a sandwich or to simply say “I don’t know French.” I could have used both of these phrases multiple times during the previous day!

Yesterday was our first excursion as a group, traveling to Courchevel Ski Resort in the French Alps. We rose before the sun was up to hop on a bus and drive the two hours into the mountains, well above the tree line. Everyone was sleepy on the morning drive but quickly perked up as soon as the tips of the mountains came into view. We were extremely lucky to have clear blue skies and a bright sun all day. Ms. Gally, her husband, and her son generously agreed to be our guides for the day, taking us to every corner of the mountain. The slopes were pristine and covered in powdery snow that was well maintained. After six hours of non-stop skiing and snowboarding, we were all completely drained of energy but filled with joy. We rounded out the night with dinner at a restaurant in the town below the slopes. The food was excellent, and the dessert was delicious. I have yet to find any food in France that hasn’t been fantastic. This upcoming week promises to be one filled with more adventures and more fine French cuisine. I’m looking forward to the week ahead!

So You’re Going to Grenoble, France

marielbaloJanuary 5, 2020February 25, 2020

Written by Matthew Rodgers, MS. International Business '21

When applying to the George Washington University Short Term Study Away Programs (STAP), this technology management program in France stuck out from the other programs for a number of reasons. First, the prestige of the Grenoble School of Management (GEM) was a huge factor. The school is well ranked within France and within all of Europe. To be given the opportunity to study at the university is incredible. Second, the program offered a unique mix of classroom learning, site visits with global companies operating from Grenoble, and outside activities such as the day trip to going skiing in the French Alps. The content of the classroom sessions is also intriguing. I’m excited to see what the Serious Games program entails, as well as to receive the Serious Games Certification upon completion of the program. The eYeka case that’s been assigned provided a little insight into what to expect and has left me eager to learn more about technology companies operating from Europe. Third, I’ve only briefly traveled through France before and have never had the opportunity to immerse myself in French culture. The dinners and wine tastings that have been arranged for students are fun additional experiences that I’m looking forward to. I currently know next to nothing about wine, so to learn more about wine while in a country with a global reputation for wines is something completely new to me.

Looking back on my time in college, my biggest regret is not taking advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. This opportunity to travel to France is an experience that I’ve been looking forward to for years. Aside from the goals mentioned above, there are several other general experiences that I hope to take away from this program. I want to experience first-hand what it’s like to study in a foreign country. I’m enthusiastic about meeting other students both from GW and from other universities. I hope to get to know city of Grenoble and all that is has to offer. In particular, I plan on eating as much French food as possible. Most of all, I simply hope to learn and grow while studying at the Grenoble School of Management.

I’m grateful that GW offers these shorter study abroad programs. This 10 day trip fits perfectly with my schedule. As someone who works full-time and attends GW as a part time student, it’s unlikely that I’d be able to study abroad were it not for the STAP programs.

Settling Up

marielbaloNovember 27, 2019February 25, 2020

Written by Edward Bouldin, Master’s of Accountancy, ’19

“Settling Up” is what Professor Deschow calls our last class before our final exam. It’s a culmination of all that we learned so far and what we may see on the final exam. After this class I’ll be moving on to another class in in the marketing sections called “Products and Services Marketing.” I am looking forward to what it is going to offer me.

As usual, I woke up and caught the train from Wiesbaden to Hattenheim. I had been looking forward to waking up late, as initially the class was going to take place an hour later, but last minute (two days before) the school changed the scheduled time back to the original. No big deal.

The summary of the class was as one might imagine – some parts lecture and other parts very participative and alive. I was able to focus my thoughts on the parts that I especially liked (which was most) but the parts about risk compliance I struggled with. However, the interactive case study that we participated in at the PWC building in Frankfurt some weeks before helped me get through that section. The case study made the lesson more real for me. I think Dr. Deschow knows that the students and I got a lot out of that experience.

Fast forward to last Wednesday when I took my final exam for the class. It was relatively stressful but in a good way because the questions were well thought out. After the test, is was time to go have some fun in order to get my mind back on track. Me and another student I’ve been studying with decided to take the 45-minute trip from Ostrich-Winkle to Frankfurt and have lunch before strolling through the outdoor flea market. Anyone who knows me knows I will do anything for a good outdoor flea market!

There are two categories that I use when describing all flea markets. First you have your bonified outdoor markets. These have good quality items (albeit used and old) that will last a lifetime. This category is the one I travel far and wide for. The second type of market is filled with individuals selling badly worn out items or stolen items. Luckily, the market in Frankfurt fell into the first category and I was happy.

Afterwards we took the Eisener Bridge (foot traffic only bridge) back to the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhoff. Before getting on the train I took the time to take a picture of my friend with her back turned to me in front of the Frankfurt Opera Haus.

A Week With a Twist: My Third week at the European Business School

marielbaloOctober 21, 2019February 25, 2020

Written by Edward Bouldin, Master’s of Accountancy, ’19

I woke up early for the second straight day in a row preparing myself for the over 30 minute trip to Ostrich Winkle. At this point I was thoroughly exhausted from the Initial Public Offerings, Audit Review processes and Risk Management Matrices that were being taught in my courses. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of each day, right after lunch I began fading fast since we talk for nine hours each class period.

I arrived to the campus and found a breakfast spot, as I usually do, and began looking for student activities that interested me. It seemed like that particular Friday was a bit slow in class as well. The weather was overcast and I couldn’t help but think about what else was happening around me while the lecture was taking place. I thought it would be cool to do something spontaneous. I knew that class would be over around 1800 and it would take me about one hour to get to Frankfurt. I thought that Frankfurt for the weekend would be an awesome get-away and just what the doctor ordered to rejuvenate me.

It would be a much-needed weekend since on Tuesday, only five days away, our next class would be at Pricewater Copper (PWC). That would be an experience that I needed to be rested for. PWC is one of the “Big 4” accounting firms and a very prestigious place from which to receive an invite. A weekend getaway would be just what I needed. At 1700, literally one hour prior to the lecture ending on Friday, I decided that I would ride the train to Frankfurt and…BUY A TICKET TO PARIS!

The plan was to leave early Saturday morning to Paris and return Monday. The trip to Paris from Frankfurt is approximately 3 hours. When you factor in a round trip ticket that gave me a six-hour block to review the case study that was to be presented on Tuesday for the PWC lecture. I arrived at 11:30am on Saturday in Paris and decided I would walk absolutely everywhere I planned on visiting. Time spent on the metro was less time I could have been seeing things. Because I am a natural extrovert, I decided to make this experience a street photography/street portraiture trip.

So for the next three days that’s what I did. Parisians are some of the best people I have ever encountered. Since this is the city of light I decided to make all of the pictures in color and not the typical Black and White that I usually use when I tell a story with my camera.

Paris was great but I was determined to have an even greater experience at PWC in Frankfurt. I put on my Sunday’s best and prepared for the 35-minute train ride. The PWC building is one of the (if not the…) tallest buildings in Frankfurt.

we all decided gathered for a group photo and then went up to the 48th floor of the building where we were treated with a view unlike I have ever seen over the great city of Frankfurt. It was a high-class affair from PWC. They provided refreshments for us as we sat through the lecture and worked through the case study. Mr. Anderson (one of our instructors and full time employee at PWC) divided the class into seven groups that had the responsibility of designing a Risk Management Strategy for a company with aspirations to become publicly traded. We had a lot of fun doing the case study. Next class we will wrap things up and prepare for our final exam!