Student Testamonials
David Williams
2008 Scholar Recipient
Europe, Spring 2008
Brigham Young University
From August of 2005 to August of 2007, I was blessed with the opportunity to live and serve among the Russian people in the St. Petersburg area. I was able to gain love and understanding for these talented people for two years of my life. While in Russia , I recognized that in order to become strong and vibrant, their budding economy needed sound principles and exceptional leaders. Ever since that experience I have had high hopes in assisting my Russian/Eastern European friends with development in their country. This is one reason why I wanted to participate in the European study abroad program offered at Brigham Young University . Thanks to the kindness of the John T. Petters Foundation, I could afford to participate.
The focus of the Global Product Development program was to visit Western and Eastern Europe to analyze and compare manufacturing, engineering, and globalization. This included visits with 22 companies, 4 universities, and 17 cultural sites. Some of the excursions included London England, Budapest Hungary, Krakow Poland, Slovakia, Prague Czech Republic, Frankfurt Germany, Paris France, and Luxembourg, among other areas. At companies such as Proctor and Gamble ( Budapest ), Siemens ( Prague ), and Alcoa ( Budapest ), we were able to see how Eastern European countries are becoming involved in the international market. At the Central European Bank, we were able to speak with bank officials and economists about the European Euro and its equalizing and unifying effect in the European market. We were able to witness the strengths of these various areas: manufacturing in Eastern Europe , finances/services and management in Western Europe . We also were able to enjoy the cuisine and cultures of these countries--a real treat!
All in all, my understanding of Europe 's involvement in the growing global economy was fostered and greatly developed through my month-long experience in eight exciting and unique European countries. Once again, I was able to have this educational experience thanks to the graciousness shown by the John T. Petters Foundation.
Connor McCarthy
2008 Scholar Recipient
Tanzania, Summer 2008
University of Georgia
I write to you with great humility and great gratitude for providing me with a summer I will never forget.
I purchased my ticket to Africa with the intention of discovering a cure, a solution to the "Africa problem." How could I "fix" this place wrought with poverty, disease, and political unrest? I left having learned so much more.
Our home base was located in a small town named Moshi in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Driving to our hotel from the airport in the middle of the night, we were unable to see the 60% absolute poverty rate of the nation ranked 159th of 177 on the Human Poverty Index, and none of us were prepared for what we were about to experience.
Soon, however, we were viewing the poverty from a different perspective. It was an opportunity for growth, not a hindrance crippling their society.
Our first major stop was with the A to Z Industries, OlySet mosquito net manufacturers, the world's leading manufacturer of malaria-prevention mosquito nets. More importantly, though, it provides hundreds of otherwise destitute employees with wages, housing, and two meals a day. We learned that these practices are standard operating procedure for many African corporations who value the human capital at the highest level and understand that without good workers, there are no good products.
Our next big stop was at the Coca-Cola regional bottling plant in Moshi. After a technical presentation including much discussion of their eighty-percent market share and the development of their new regional competitor (Pepsi), we continued on to the actual plant itself. The major corporations in Tanzania have developed their production methods to what we know as Western methods. The Bonite Bottling Company (this particular branch of the bottling industry) made use of assembly lines and industrial advancements, bottling over 300,000 bottles every eight hours with a less than one percent rejection rate.
These first two businesses provided for us examples of the benefits of housing multinational corporations in underdeveloped countries. Not only do the conditions of Tanzania allow for cheap and efficient production, but the businesses themselves provide jobs and security for the people. Moreover, they require capital, transportation, communication, and production technologies--for their work. And the citizens of the country are the first to benefit.
Having been so inspired by the first four days of the trip, I set out to make international development aid and macroeconomic policy the crux of the next few years of my life. I was fortunate enough to find a program called the Barcelona Macroeconomics Summer School, a five-day seminar program on Economics and Development, to which I was able to apply scholarship funds. I write to you from Barcelona with one day of the program remaining. In one summer, thanks to the John T. Petters Foundation, I am able to experience both the policy and the practical application of international development aid and business practices and to secure a future goal for myself and hopefully create a future for others.
Thank you for your generosity; you are doing wonderful things.
Jessica Reading
2008 Scholar Recipient
Pacific Rim, Summer 2008
Miami University - Ohio
I would like to thank you for enabling me to have the opportunity to travel with my University over the past six weeks. This summer I traveled to the Pacific Rim - China, Korea, Japan, and Hawaii - studying how globalization is affecting our generation, particularly in the business world. In a world where globalization is increasing our pace of life exponentially, the trip exposed me to new ideas, while also sharing similarities with vastly different cultures. The best part about studying abroad was the idea that learning did not come from what the professor said in the classroom, but how we processed our experiences based on what we saw, who we met, and what we did. These experiences ranged from city tours with knowledgeable locals, climbing the Great Wall in Beijing, attending traditional dances in Korea, seeing Hiroshima in Japan and later Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, visiting and exploring global companies, meeting successful Miami alumni working abroad, and establishing sustainable relationships with University students who hosted us in each respective country. The unique aspect of the trip was that in our preparation, we were assigned “e-mail buddies” to students in China, Korea, and Japan, and had the opportunity to e-mail one another, and then spend time with them when we arrived in their hometown. Further, while in Kyoto, we actually stayed with our host for three days in their home and got to experience true Japanese lifestyle, something I had never imagined I would be doing.
Our itinerary was full and exhausting totaling 10 flights throughout 4 countries. There is so much to take away from the trip, including the 2700 pictures I took! Although these pictures are in front of some of the most fascinating, breathtaking, ancient, and famous places, being able to engage with the people around us, particularly the University students, brought a connection to the places we saw. In our increasingly globalized world, I realized the importance of understanding how different the students’ cultures may be, but how similar our goals for the future are. Marcel Proust, a French novelist wrote: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Before this trip, I had only seen what existed within the United States. Our generation faces the challenge of succeeding not only within familiar environments, but also on a global scale. Traveling throughout Asia opened my spectrum to this global scale. It has inspired me to maintain relationships and to continue to seek and discover what the rest of the world has to offer.
Kayla Wingbermuehle
2008 Scholar Recipient
The Netherlands, Spring 2008
Missouri State University
As globalization continues to unite the world, a culturally diverse education has become invaluable. As an International business major, experiencing culture first hand and appreciating diversity is crucial. When I left to study in The Netherlands, I had high expectations for educational and personal growth; all of which in hindsight seem superficial or insubstantial. Early on, I realized that there was a significant difference between those who have experienced the world and those who have merely learned about it. Having never left the United States, I was the latter of the two.
When I arrived, I vowed to make the most of my experiences abroad—to take in as much as possible. As I prepare to end my time abroad, I find it hard to express in words the importance of what I have learned and how much I have grown. Over the past year, I have lived with students from over 50 different countries and learned about the beauty and uniqueness of their cultures. I have experienced the overwhelming rush of emotion that comes with seeing magnificent works of art, awe-inspiring cathedrals and historic castles. I have watched curiosity, kindness and patience disintegrate even the toughest of language barriers. For the first time in my life, I have experienced the world.
I am forever grateful to the John T. Petters Foundation and their donors for making my dreams a reality through generosity, passion and above all, faith. Studying abroad in The Netherlands has been the most educational and enlightening experience of my life. I hope that upon my return I will be able to share my experiences and encourage others to study abroad so that they too may be able to see first-hand how beautiful this experience can be.