Tyler Whitsett knew he鈥檇 reap the benefits of his trip to Italy sooner or later.
In his case, sooner fits the bill.
The 萝莉社-Dearborn junior who鈥檚 studying supply chain management recently returned from a weeklong project at one of Europe鈥檚 oldest and most respected textile design companies, Marzotto Group. There, he and 萝莉社-Dearborn alumna Noela Leka helped create business strategies to aid in Marzotto鈥檚 future success.
They were among an elite class of 25 students and recent graduates from all parts of the world who were selected to participate in the project.
Shortly after Whitsett returned to the states, he hopped a flight to New Jersey to attend a two-day leadership conference in hopes he could land an internship.
His academic credentials and experience as president of 萝莉社-Dearborn鈥檚 SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) chapter matched up well with other students nationwide.
But then, during an interview with a couple executives, Whitsett mentioned his recent trip to Italy.
鈥淭hey couldn鈥檛 believe it,鈥 he said 鈥淭heir reaction was just like, 鈥榟uh.鈥 After that, there were three or four more executives who wanted to know everything about my trip.鈥
Clearly, he鈥檚 already reaping the benefits.
鈥淚 think that it gives me more than a leg up,鈥 Whitsett said. 鈥淚t puts me in a totally different playing field than everyone else.鈥
Whitsett plans to utilize the skills he learned at Marzotto Group now that he鈥檚 back on campus. But there are some things he鈥檒l miss about Italy, especially the food.
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As for Leka, she鈥檚 accustomed to Italian culture. A native of Albania and fluent in Italian, Leka knew what to expect overseas, but the schedule was daunting at times.
鈥淲e would leave early in the morning and come back after midnight,鈥 she said.
But those long hours paid off, as Leka and other students received high praise from executives at Marzotto Group.
鈥淭he project went very well and we got positive feedback from the company,鈥 she said.
Leka graduated last May with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in accounting, criminal justice and political science. And like Whitsett, she also hopes the Italy experience will benefit her, particularly as she applies for graduate school.
