Marvin Roberto Ruiz

His name is Marvin and he graduated from California State University of Long Beach in 2018 with a Consumer Affair Degree. He decided to further expand his knowledge by traveling aboard and internship in a similar field, such as finance.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it was an opportunity to travel to another country and experience an entirely new culture. The internship that was provided allowed me to expand my knowledge in finance and greatly helped in making my resumé look stronger for potential employers in my field. I also chose this program because it was an opportunity to be out on my own.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider assisted me with dates and extension for the tuition payments, and also provided me with a summary of cultural differences for the country I traveled too. They also connected me with my host company and explained the day by day for interns. All I was in charge of was buying my plane ticket.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My advice would be for individuals to be open-minded. Traveling to another country can be a scary and intense experience and traveling with a closed mind can impact how an adventure can go. I went on my trip with an open mind and was excited to meet new people, try new food, and experience their nightlife.

Being open-minded really made the adventure one of my greatest experiences.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day is working 8 hours in your host company and really gaining experience about the day to day of the company. My co-workers were the most welcoming people and really helped me fit in their company.

After work, I would hang out with my other peers and explore the area while meeting new people who welcomed us to their country.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was traveling to a whole new country. I feared if their people would be welcoming, worried about how their currency works, and how I would get from place to place. The way I overcame this fear was by simply going out there and doing it and quickly adapting to how the country runs. Fortunately, my program adviser was able to assist with these issues and made my experience very easy to adapt too.

What would you have done differently?

The one thing I would have done differently was to have gone out more and explored other areas near Manila. I was able to explore Cebu as well and it was an amazing weekend.

My first month was full of adventures, but in my second month, I had decided to stay in. Although I enjoyed staying in and living by myself, I would love to have had explored what the Philippines has to offer, but I do not have any regrets.

Overall, it was an amazing trip.