Cadence Ray, a Gary W. Rollins College of Business student, spent the month of July studying abroad in France with a group from UTC led by Dr. Bonnal. During her time in France she experienced countless memorable excursions and provided a journal summarizing her travels. Cadence celebrated the Fourth of July atop the Eiffel Tower after after enjoying the masterpieces held at the Musée d’Art Moderne where she was able to view works of art by celebrated artists like Vincent van Gogh.
Later in her stay, she was given the opportunity to visit the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Here she was able to interact with Carol Guthrie, a graduate of Red Bank High School, who is OECD’s marketing and social media director. Cadence was also able to visit the national assembly in France where her group ran into M.P. Deputy Olivia Grégoire who discussed the climate of the women’s movement in Paris and shared how she “loves being a public servant”.
A once in a lifetime experience occurred while Cadence was abroad… France won the World Cup in soccer! She describes the streets of Paris “in high spirits, cheering, with French flags everywhere!” On one of her last excursions, she visited L’Oréal. “The luxury cosmetics market is interesting to study and it was interesting to see the way that it fits in with L’Oréal. The organization is over so many brands that I was not aware of, but their management strategy is to let the brands that they acquire hold their identity and I liked that,” she explains.
Cadence and several other Rollins College of Business students were able to experience the culture of France; visiting a number of historical sites while also gaining valuable business expertise.
Journal by Cadence Ray, Student, Gary W. Rollins College of Business
Guest Blog by Cameron Beltran, Student, UTC Department of Communications