- April 4, 2017
- 10:06 am
- Quinlan Ramble
- no comments
Quinlan Ramble Reflection- Tessie Cheryl Li Ruo Lin
For the past few years, the Quinlan Ramble has been known for attracting the strangest of weathers. Living up to its reputation, this year’s trip to NYC experienced all types of temperature. While we enjoyed a couple of extremely sunny days, we also shivered and huddled like penguins as snow covered the city in white for the following days. Rain was also part of the agenda, but thankfully, the Quinlan Ramble staff had prepared us for the pouring rain. As we traveled and pushed our way through the crowded streets of New York, we held on tight to our Loyola-colored (maroon and yellow) umbrellas. Under these dome-shaped shields, some amazing friendships were slowly being formed and memories were being created. So in spite of these extreme temperatures and the weather app being our best friend, this trip has been a once in a lifetime experience that I am lucky to have shared with 15 other incredible ramblers.
The first couple of days were dedicated to exploring this beautiful and lively city. As we embarked on a two-hour long boat ride, we had the opportunity to not only see the tall and unique buildings that dotted the skyline, but also spent quality time learning more about one another and taking some fantastic pictures. We then went on a walking tour of SOHO, Little Italy, and Chinatown. Thanks to New York’s spooky stories and our interesting tour guides (who happened to also be actors), this was a tour unlike any other: fast-paced, dramatic, and lively.
Although being tourists on Saturday and Sunday was fun, visiting companies on Monday was what we have all been waiting for quite impatiently. Monday came faster than we thought and within just the short time period of a week, we visited 9 companies, each very different from the other, but all extremely interesting. From attending the bell opening of NYSE to visiting KPMG, one of the four big accounting firms, and Time, Inc., each experience has been extremely enriching and beneficial. While most company visits involved presentations, panel discussions, and tours of the office premises, some organizations were more creative with their approach. Revolt Media, for instance, prepared a fun ice-breaker that divided us into teams and involved singing.
One of the most important things that I have learned during this trip and most specifically during the company visits was to network. Most if not all of the employees at companies shared that they currently hold their positions partly thanks to the unlimited power of networking. While constantly repeating and showing to us the value of having a wide network, the Ramble also gave us a fantastic opportunity to expand our contact list. I truly appreciated the Alumni Reception, which helped me meet some successful people and connect one on one with Loyola alumni. Everyone I talked to was more than willing to share their experiences, give advice, and help with any questions I had.
As I mentioned in my application, one of the main reasons why I applied to the Quinlan Ramble was simply because I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn by exploring and seeing for myself. I wanted to hear from the people who were in the business world and who were passionate about what they were doing. The company visits accomplished way more than that. While I definitely acquired knowledge about each company, their histories and the types of products or services that each provided, I also came to better understand what I wanted in terms of my career. As we explored one company after the other, I got valuable insight into the various cultures prevalent in each company. I also slowly became aware of which type of environment I would fit in the most. This was extremely helpful and I cannot emphasize enough how this is a such unique experience that we Ramblers have and I hope that we all take advantage of this to the fullest. Being able to immerse myself into the real world of business was beyond anything else. I am truly glad and grateful that I have been given such an opportunity.
The Quinlan Ramble also extended to more than just discovering the city and strolling from company to company. It was about the friendships that were built along the way. I met some extremely smart and diligent fellow Ramblers whom I have had the pleasure to meet and share such a wonderful experience with. We were all very different people: students in different years with different majors and of course different interests. Therefore, it was a little challenging at times to connect with one another, but those differences also made it interesting to get to know more about each other. Yes, it did take us a bit of time to get to know each other and “to open the onion” as many would say, but once we did, we all became very close and united in this rather short period. It has been two weeks since the trip occurred but until today, I still maintain a close relationships with some of the Ramblers on the trip.
To conclude, I could not think of a better way to end my reflection than by thanking the people who have dedicated their time and effort to making this trip such an incredible one. I have had the pleasure to meet Alex See, Chelsea Donahue, and Meghan Coletta. They have hugely contributed to this trip, from planning it to guiding us through the company visits. I have learned from them just as much I have learned from companies. They have been extremely dedicated to making this trip one of the best and I would like to thank them for that. Last but not least, I would like to thank the Quinlan Business School and Loyola University Chicago for offering such an enriching and unique experience to their students. Without the Quinlan Ramble, I would have never had the opportunity to explore and immerse into the business world at an undergraduate level. This was a trip that led to growth in all aspects. I will never be able to forget the one week spent in New York.
Tessie Cheryl Li Ruo Lin
Quinlan Class of 2019
Accounting