My 8-week internship was with World Football Summit in Madrid, Spain.

I am attending Michigan State University in Broad Business School, majoring in Business Management, and hoping to minor in Sports Management. This placement could not have been more perfect for me, as I played soccer my entire childhood and love all sports.

This experience was the most inspiring experience I have had. I learned so much about the world of football in Europe and beyond, I gained so many contacts and so much knowledge I will take with me as I return to MSU and beyond when I am looking for employment after college.

I also learned so much about the Spanish culture and even picked up on quite a bit of the language while I was there.

I got to know people from all over the world and learn from them about the business of football.

Going abroad has helped me grow so much, I come from a small town and am not very outgoing and this experience helped me open up and get to know people and embrace a different culture.

One of the best things I learned about the work culture in Spain is it’s a lot more laid back than in the United States. They don’t work as early, take longer breaks/lunches, and get together a lot after work to visit and get to know each other.

Before I left for my internship, I heard a lot about Spanish people not speaking English, but I found if I tried to speak Spanish, they appreciated it and would help in any way they could.

I met the most amazing group of people at the internship residence. We spent so much time together, out to eat, on day trips, weekend trips we built a forever bond. It was nice to have people to talk to about work and the different experiences we were all having.

Being so far away from home as someone who has Epilepsy, I wasn’t sure how safe and comfortable I would feel, but I want others to know even if you have challenges in life, you can do things that you normally wouldn’t and be supported by an amazing program and people that come with it. I gained a tremendous amount of work experience and was able to develop many contacts.

I would recommend everyone participate in an abroad program, knowing how business works in other countries can be helpful for future business endeavors. Having this opportunity was made even better because of the scholarship I received, it helped me focus on my work and not have to stress about my finances.

• Name: Evan StPeter
• Status: Junior
• Major: Management
• Hometown: Escanaba, Michigan
• Program: Business Internships in Spain