Atlanta: Personal and Professional Growth
Yuliya Romantsova '24
Major: International Business, Information Systems
The best part of this semester was spending an entire week with new people in Atlanta. I never expected that one week could have a significant impact on my success and academic life. I got the opportunity to meet and speak with Loyola alumni, who provided me with a plethora of career guidance and stressed the need for networking in the professional world. It's not just about meeting new people and exchanging information; it's also about forming long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. We observed employees in their work routines, learned more about a company and its industry and asked numerous questions as we toured different companies. I was surprised to discover that the places and cultures I had assumed I would enjoy the most were actually the least appealing. I was also astonished to see that organizations I hadn't even considered for my internship or potential employment list may end up near the top of the list. Company visits are a great way to get a taste of what your actual future life will be like.
The Quinlan Ramble to Atlanta aided my personal and professional growth. Another highlight of the trip was meeting alumni and having real interactions with them. Listening to their career stories and current corporate positions was fascinating since it gave me ideas for what I want to achieve in the future. I took away a few things from each company's interactive Q&A session: we need to provide personal development resources, schedule time for personal development, and support personal goals alongside professional goals and self-awareness. Showing your students how much you care about them as individuals can significantly impact how they start their work. I'd like to attend more campus social events since they help me improve my public speaking and articulation skills, which are essential in the corporate world.
This trip is something I would recommend to anyone, including students and faculty. You will form close bonds with people you have never met before. I'll keep in touch with the entire Quinlan Ramble team because I'm interested in seeing how we all develop and where we wind up after we graduate from Loyola University Chicago. The Atlanta experience was the perfect way to spend a spring break, meet new people, and form long-lasting friendships. Thank you to Quinlan School of Business for putting up such an important event for students. This is a fantastic chance for anyone who wants to grow personally and professionally while also learning helpful information before entering the workforce after graduation.
