Edwards management major Carson Widynowski spent eight weeks volunteering in Ukraine this summer thanks to partial sponsorship and encouragement from the Hanlon Centre for International Business Studies. “They made me push myself to actually do this,” says Widynowski. “I came to university with the idea that I wanted to get international business experience and ever since the centre opened, it’s been this formal presence showing that international business is something the university is encouraging. It’s something I can do.”

Widynowski’s internship was through AIESEC Saskatoon and involved teaching English and entrepreneurship to 6 – 16 year olds. “I did a business project and kind of used the i³ Idea Challenge here at the university as my inspiration,” he says. “I told them to create their own business idea and have fun with it.” Widynowski says he was impressed with the ideas the youth came up with. “They started thinking of ideas like AIDS clinics, phone servicing in the mountains and rural areas, and other things to help society.”

He says he wasn’t expecting to teach English to children who didn’t know much of the language, but meeting the challenge was one of the most rewarding aspects of his experience. “These weren’t things I was really sure that I could do. It’s very rewarding to see how much you can push yourself.”

While overseas, Widynowski was able to learn some of the different customs of Ukraine in areas such as greeting and meals. “They’re a lot more formal than we are here,” he explains. “I didn’t notice how informal we were until I went to another country. If you’re informal in Ukraine, they sort of take that as meaning you’re not really serious.”

Meeting the other interns from 20 different countries and made quite an impact on Widynowski. “The friendships I made there are probably some of the best friendships of my life,” he says. “We had the opportunity to explore a country together and share that entire experience.”

Through talking with the other interns, Widynowski learned about their home countries, including which degrees are most valued when trying to get into business. “In Ukraine, the most valuable degree you can get is an economics degree. In other countries an English degree is the best and in other places it’s a different degree,” he says. “It broadened my perspective on what a degree means and what a business values when hiring.”

Widynowski says international travel has definitely added to his business education. “I’ve taken international business courses and they tell us these concepts, but to experience it yourself really makes you understand fully why certain things are important and why things are the way they are,” he explains. “Getting out of your comfort zone and seeing different viewpoints on the world doesn’t just help you in international business but in regular business as well.”

The Hanlon Centre works with students from all colleges by providing global business seminars and workshops, and helping students gain international business experience in their area of interest, including relevant travel opportunities.

Widynowski recommends students from all areas get involved with the Hanlon Centre and have their own adventures abroad. “The cultural experience of meeting new people and challenging yourself is going to be really valuable regardless of which direction you’re going in.”