It was the fall of my junior year. I had just returned from a semester abroad in Italy.

I was a little anxious about the infamous or famous (depending on your perspective) first semester undergraduate “block” where each student is placed into a team for the semester and shares the same class schedule with about fifty other students. During the “block” there were multiple weeks when I spent more of my waking hours with my teammates than my friends-some of it enjoyable some of it not.

However, looking back it’s clear to me that my “block” and the time I spent with my teammates were priceless.  From something very practical like using  formulas in Excel or preparing a presentation to compromising on the details of a project or delegating work, the “block” mimicked a real job sometimes. Since graduation I have been working for Hanjin Shipping, a global and traditional Korean company. In July 2008, I became a member of our operations team in Singapore.

I converse with coworkers from various cultures and countries on a daily basis, which can be a challenge.  I often call upon the spectrum of “soft” and practical skills my time in the undergrad business program gave me.