- April 11, 2016
- 10:11 am
- no comments
Quinlan Ramble Reflection – Mingyan Zhang
Different than other Rambles, I have been hearing about the Quinlan Ramble program since freshman year, and I have always been interested in participating since then. Finally, I had the opportunity to go on the journey to San Francisco, one of the most wonderful cities within the U.S, with 13 other driven students. Knowing we were going to visit San Francisco was already exciting since I had never been to California before the trip. What I had heard of San Francisco is that it’s always sunny and warm; however, our trip was a little bit different than what I expected. There were rain drops everyday that we were there. All of us were joking that we must have brought the Chicago weather with us there. Nonetheless, nothing could have stopped us from having a great time there. Honestly, this trip was one of the highlight experiences that I have with the Quinlan School of Business.
As an undergraduate business student, having the opportunity to visit 10 top companies was unbelievable already. Like I wrote when I applied to the trip: “The Quinlan Ramble to California provides me a great opportunity to explore my ideal working and living environment”; we not only learned about all the company’s culture, but also got a great chance to network with them in order to learn about the possible internship opportunities. Engaging with all the people we met at different companies was amazing. Learning about their career paths and advice to us was my biggest take away. I still remember the Chief Creative Officer at Salesforce telling us, “Don’t be afraid to fail because it is the beginning of success.” Before the trip I was also very worried about how I could find a job as an international student. Where would I be in 5 years? Can I actually stay in the United States? What industry do I want to work for? I had no idea how to answer those questions. However, this trip has allowed me to open my eyes and to realize that there are so many opportunities out there, and I just need to go find them. There will be a place for me that needs my knowledge, and I will be dedicated to join with. Keep trying and keep learning, because a bright future is out there waiting for me!
Overall, the 7 days in San Francisco were incredible. Thank you to all who have supported the trip in different ways. The Quinlan Ramble has allowed us to build networks, gain our professional skills and more importantly, get to know 13 driven students. Keep in touch guys! Finger heart to you all.
Mingyan (Patricia) Zhang
Quinlan Class of 2017
Information Systems and Marketing