I don’t know about you, but often I can only fully process the enormity of an event long after it takes place.
With another break coming up—and only two more months left until graduation—I thought I would take the opportunity to pause and reflect on the Global Commerce (GC) Senior Capstone trip to London, England this past winter break (January 3rd-11th).
Now that the jet lag has long subsided, I’ve returned to my normal sleep schedule, and have swapped out going to the local pub with going to the Broadway Pub, I feel that I am finally able to comprehend the crazy opportunities my classmates and I were presented with during our ten days abroad.
This trip could not have happened at a more transitional time; as graduating seniors, we have only one semester left before entering the “real world” and the fifteen of us that were able to go on the trip are all over the place in terms of our post graduate plans. Some of us have accepted positions in new cities while others have been in the midst of a grueling interview process for months. Some have no idea what the next year will look like and others are pursuing post graduate degree programs.
Nonetheless, we put our GC skills to the test, practicing professionalism in action and learning from Denison’s best.
Seated in boardrooms in companies such as Evercore, BPL Global, Llyod’s of London, Google, Landor & Fitch, Palantir, OpCapita, EY, and more, we had the opportunity to listen to the stories of many Denison alumni as they traced their (often winding) career path of how they got to where they are today. Their wisdom and advice—especially for people such as myself who had been searching for a niche to pursue within the Global Commerce realm for years—impressed upon me the importance of finding work that is passion-driven above all else.
The contagious enthusiasm that every person we met with, no matter how many years out of Denison they were, provided me with confidence that the professional working world is an exciting, dynamic, and engaging place to be.
Although our schedule was packed, we had the privilege to explore London with Jane Palmer (a UK native), Dr. Burch (recently on sabbatical), and David Hirsh (executive in residence)!
For my fellow classmates, highlights and takeaways include:
Oliver Gignoux: “It was a great opportunity to connect with Denison alumni and business professionals across numerous industries in one of the most important global cities.” Colson Sutz: “London was quite the experience! My fellow GC seniors and I had a great time on a fun and educational trip organized by the great Jane Palmer. We visited different companies, met alumni, watched soccer, and saw the sights. Thank you Global Commerce!”
Ian Childs: “Fun and educational! I’m really glad I got to watch Palace play at Selhurst and meet so many inspiring alumni leading in their fields!”
Jon Svendsen ‘23: “To next year’s seniors: I would definitely apply for the GC Capstone experience. It’s one of, if not the most memorable experience I’ve had through Denison and Global Commerce. The trip allowed me to gain insight into many different industries and allowed me to meet some great people.”
Maggie McNamara ‘23: “The London trip was a great experience that exposed me to a number of careers (some I was unaware of) and motivated me greatly.”
