October 01, 2015

The transition from “What’s your major?” to “What do you do for a living?” is a daunting one for students to consider, especially in their first year of college. Fortunately for students in the Sigmund Weis School of Business, the Global Business Living-Learning Community (LLC), which launched last year, is designed to prepare them to meet that challenge head-on.

For Austin French ’18, a business administration–finance major from Susquehanna, Pa., the business school seemed the perfect place to embrace his budding fascination with finance. Charmed by the picturesque campus and cheerful conversation with President L. Jay Lemons, he quickly decided he wanted to be a part of the program. “I had many different options I was looking at, but if I could do it 10 more times, I would become part of the Susquehanna family, the Sigmund Weis School of Business and the LLC,” French says.

Living and studying with like-minded peers in Reed Hall, French has been able to make social and professional connections that have helped him better define his own path. “The LLC will help me in the future because it has provided me with opportunities to meet business professionals. I now know many new resources, and I have made lifelong friends because of it.”

Rachel Wood ’18, a Spanish and business administration major from Shippensburg, Pa., who also participated in the Global Business LLC, says the program helped fine-tune her professional direction as well. “I learned a lot from my peers about what they were interested in, and it helped me figure out what would be best for me,” she says.

Another member of the program’s inaugural year, James Norman ’18, an accounting major from Bronx, N.Y., says he found the transition to college life much easier thanks to the LLC. “It’s like we had friends already coming to college,” says Norman, who landed an internship with Moody’s this summer.

In addition to living and learning with each other, students in the program work closely with the Career Development Center to learn about internships and career opportunities. Ryan Smolko, assistant director of the Career Development Center, mentors the students in an Introduction to Professional Development course specifically tailored to business students. The course introduces students to career options, résumé preparation, interview skills and even dining etiquette.