Nelson Lee
On January 9, 2014 Nelson Lee arrived in Richmond, Virginia from Singapore. A junior at Singapore Management University (SMU) studying finance and marketing, Lee chose to study abroad in the United States this past spring to broaden his perspective of the world.
“I wanted to come to the U.S. to get a better sense of life and work in the States. I chose the Robins School of Business because of the great education I knew I would receive here. Studying abroad is a very different kind of experience compared to remaining in your home country throughout college. You get to live in this entirely new place for a short period of time, which is something that becomes much less feasible as you grow older; I wanted to go after this chance to spend time overseas so that I can more knowledgably forge my own path as I consider my career after graduation.”
After finishing the spring semester Lee will be traveling south to Atlanta, Ga. for an internship in business development with SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship that works to nurture and grow SMU’s innovation culture and entrepreneurial community.
When asked about his expectations for the internship, he shared, “I understand the atmosphere will be similar to a startup, so I look forward to delving into that environment while gaining this invaluable experience in Atlanta. Due to the nature of business development I expect to be a lot more involved in the planning processes and groundwork for my projects as opposed to relying on my superiors as I have in my past internships. I took Professor Bill Bergman’s Sales Management class, and he taught us the potential of a sales position. He shared with us the mindset of taking control of situations versus letting things spiral beyond our grasp, and that piece of advice not only affected the way I saw my internship opportunity but also the way I plan to live my life.”
“I chose to remain in the U.S. after my semester abroad in order to experience working in the States. As of now I am open to the idea of moving back here one day, but I knew that before I could ever make that decision, I had to experience working here first. I believe if you want something, you have to be willing to work for it and do everything in your power to make it happen,” he said.
A great deal of exchange students return to their home countries for internships and employment. “Most of my friends back home have jobs already, but I knew I had to use this internship as a chance to deepen my experience of life in the States. The application window was about five days long, but I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to dive into business development, while getting a taste of American work life, so I jumped at the chance. When I was offered the internship, I accepted without hesitation.”
Lee shared his advice for incoming exchange students. “Always think about what you want and what you want to gain from studying abroad. Be a little selfish; don’t just follow others. Mix with the locals. Start with one friend, and they will often be your avenue into the local community. Experience what it’s like to be a local for a while.”
“The Robins School is so welcoming,” shared Lee, who was a member of both Off The Cuff A Capella and the Umoja Gospel Choir group. “I made the effort to connect with the community here, so I was able to get an interesting slice of life at Richmond by being a part of both groups. I think that decision was crucial to the quality of my experience here. I’ve made a lot of great, life-long friends.”