University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2018 Buffalo Business 17 economically," says Taylor Speer, MBA '18, who joined InVue Digital as a social media account manager aer commencement in May. "This experience really proved to me that the world is so much bigger than we might think." Speer was one of three full-time MBA students who served as mentors for the 16 undergrads in the program. Prior to their trip, the entire group met once a week to prepare for their site visits and discuss such topics as strengths-based leadership and cultural competencies. During the trip, the MBAs identified key take- aways and led debrief ses- sions with their mentees. "To effectively lead our teams, we developed close re- lationships and got to know each individual's learning style, so we could alter our coaching styles for maximum gain," says Emily Cavallari, MBA '18. "Being a mentor re- ally allowed me to develop my leadership skills and prepare for my future as a manager." Several students re- marked that in addition to building close relationships with their peers, they also bonded with their host fam- ilies, with whom they stayed for six nights. Ruben Ocana, a junior, is a native Spanish speaker, which allowed him to get to know his host family better, as well as improve his communication skills by translating for his classmates when needed. "Living with a host family was my fa- vorite part of the experience," says Ocana, who returned to Costa Rica this summer for an internship. "From night one, we ate dinner together as a family, and it was interesting to talk with them about their experiences and how they viewed their own country. All of us were grateful for the kindness of our host families." In the end, aer just eight days, the students had visited more than 10 orga- nizations and met countless individu- als, gaining greater appreciation for how culture, geography, historical issues and other factors can affect the way businesses operate in other countries. "It's so important to gain cultural per- spective and really understand that people can be different from you and how those differences can af- fect a business," says Montana Copeland, a junior in the School of Management Undergraduate Honors Program. "Our ac- counting program is very team- based, so we work with people from all different backgrounds and you see that cultural diver- sity here too. But even if there's a language barrier or other dif- ferences, we all have to work together." x " It's so important to gain cultural perspective and really understand that people can be different from you and how those differences can affect a business." Montana Copeland, BS '19 Facing page: Sarah Baxter, BS '18, at the Coopedota Coffee Cooperative. Above left, the group explored a pineapple plantation and discussed agricultural tourism and exports in Costa Rica. Above right, students visited a waste management facility to learn about sustainability.

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