05-10-2023
For years, I have had a passion for traveling and a love for visiting different countries. When thinking about my future, I didn't know what my career would be, but I always saw myself traveling for my job. Once I got to Purdue, I quickly realized my dreams of working internationally could be a reality. I am majoring in economics and political science, minoring in Spanish, and pursuing concentrations in international business and international relations. This unique plan of study has allowed me more exposure to the innerworkings of business and economy in other countries.
In order to get a feel of what it was like to travel from a business point of view, I decided before coming to college that I wanted to study abroad. I chose to study in South Korea because of my familial ties to the country. My grandmother and other extended family are from there, and I’d visited the country a few years ago. To prepare for my study abroad, I took Korean language classes, and these courses only reaffirmed my desire to study there.
For six weeks during the summer before my junior year, I studied at Yonsei University, which is in Seoul, the capital and biggest city in South Korea, through their international summer school program. While I went to South Korea because of my family connection and interest in travelling, I also made sure this experience fit with my studies at Purdue. I love the classes I took, particularly for the diversity of the professors. They weren’t just from Yonsei—they were from all over the world. My International Management professor was from Germany and my Law and Economics professor was from Canada. I really liked this unique aspect of studying abroad there.
When I wasn’t in my classes, I was able to take a bus or subway to explore the neighborhoods. The transportation system is amazing there, so I took the train to the coast a few times and to Busan, a popular coastal city. I even took a plane to Jeju Island, one of the largest islands off the southern coast of South Korea.
One of my favorite parts about this experience was getting to meet so many people outside of Purdue. I was worried about making friends since I didn’t know anyone else in the program. On the very first day, I met someone on the elevator, and we became best friends and travelled around the country together.
I was able to complete my international business concentration because of the courses I took at Yonsei. I’m grateful for this trip, not only for the social experiences that I had, but also because of what I was able to accomplish during this time away from Purdue.
After I graduate, I want to go to law school to study international law. With my political focus and my Spanish minor, the international business concentration was the perfect addition to tie everything together and help me achieve my goals in the future. The Daniels School of Business allowed me to get a glimpse of living abroad, and I aim to use this experience and my individualized academic plan to pursue my passions.
Nicole Kreimer is a junior with a major in economics and a concentration in international business as well as a major in political science and a concentration in international relations. She is also pursuing a minor in Spanish. She is from Noblesville, Indiana. Nicole is the president of the School of Business Council and is involved in Honors Ambassadors and Phi Mu, a sorority. She has held an internship as an outreach specialist for Indiana Legal Services.
