International Internship Experiences

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July 30 - August 13 in Czech Republic

This summer, several Bryan students and a couple of alumni traveled to the Czech Republic for 2 internship experiences. We interviewed 3 of the participating travelers of the trip that had the time of their lives!

Jordan Hubbard

Jordan is a sophomore Communications major here at Bryan. She plans to go into Public Relations after she graduates. Jordan described the trip as a ton of fun after they arrived. The group initially had some trouble getting over there, delayed flights, missed flights, and even lost luggage in Amsterdam. This was Jordan’s first time on a plane or out of the country!

She thoroughly enjoyed the internships. The first internship was at Raiffeisen Bank. There they learned how corporate works and how research and development, marketing, and various departments play into the large bank structure. The group got to partake in a research and development project, which was Jordan’s favorite experience of the trip, where they were able to pitch ideas to the bank corporates!

The second internship was in Olomouc and was all about entrepreneurship. They worked hands-on with start-up companies and were able to make comparisons about how they do business in the Czech Republic compared to America. She described it as a lot more laid back than Raiffeisen Bank.

She enjoyed tasting Czech foods, specifically the dumplings. Her favorite part of the whole two weeks was sightseeing in the city. There were a ton of beautiful castles they were able to go inside. Prague Castle was specifically her favorite!

She feels that Mr. Palmer did an amazing job preparing her for this international experience. She was able to grasp his perspectives of international relations and different views, which all together helped her to feel prepared for the trip.

“Do It! Just go! I made so many new friends on the trip that I probably would have never thought to go up to and talk to before. You learn so much on the trip and it is an amazing experience.” -Jordan Hubbard

Ben Paul

Ben is a senior Marketing major here at Bryan. He plans to combine business in the missions field. Ben has a passion for serving others!

He taught us that Raiffeisen Bank is one of the largest banks in Europe. The training was extensive and they got the full course overview of what it looked like to work in a bank interculturally. Ben said they took fantastic care of them while they were over there and they learned so much. They had the opportunity to listen to a variety of lectures, such as the accounting of the bank, the research and development of the bank, and even the marketing/social media aspects of the bank. 

Ben described on one of the days they were working for the bank, there was a problem internally. They were presented with the opportunity to help solve that internal problem going on with a creative director of the bank. They broke down the problem and Ben presented a solution to a high board of executives at Raiffeisen. The executives liked their ideas so much, they went with their solution. They even made a video about the presentation and posted it to their social media. See the video QR code below to watch!

Ben felt that working with Raiffeisen was a huge resume builder and an amazing intercultural experience. He also enjoyed learning more about the startups and comparing them to Dayton and American startups.

Ben loves that Bryan is so internationally diverse. He felt this tremendously prepared him more for the many international trips he has been blessed to take over the years. He also talked about how much Worldview is talked about at Bryan. We are often asked, “What is your worldview?” He feels that his four years at Bryan has truly prepared him to know what he believes and how he feels about different worldviews. Dr. Held has played an impactful role in his life when it comes to figuring out his worldviews. He feels that all of his professors have poured into him in this way over the years. ACTS Project has also played a key role in his preparation for going overseas and succeeding!

“The whole experience was incredible and I learned a lot. They treated us so well and at times I had to remember I was just a college student! If given the opportunity, anyone should go!” -Ben Paul

Jeremy Eastwood

Jeremy is a 2018 alumni of Bryan College and was a double major in Philosophy and Economics. After a meet-up with Mr. Miller, he felt encouraged to join the trip as an alumnus to see what he could learn to strengthen his current business in Dayton. He felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit Europe with a great group of like-minded people!

Jeremy, his brother, and another Dayton local run a Rentals Company. Jeremy manages the business full-time, while the other two are bankers. Everything they own is in Rhea County. 

He was originally viewing it more in the context of a vacation and being able to immerse in the European culture. After working with Raiffeisen Bank, he ended up learning a lot that can carry over to his own business from their corporate world and their structure. Specifically, one of Jeremy’s favorite experiences was getting to travel around with a branch manager. Since Jeremy also manages his business, there was a lot of relatability and passion between them bouncing off new ideas. He felt very inspired by the whole two weeks.

Jeremy enjoyed exploring throughout the trip. He walked a lot of the city and loved meeting new people. He still keeps in touch with people in met in the Czech Republic to this day and hopes to bring them to visit Tennessee soon.

“The two weeks in the Czech Republic was a very inspirational experience. I definitely encourage people to go if they feel led with the opportunity!” -Jeremy Eastwood

Gallery & Video QR Code

If you are interested in joining a Bryan College internship trip overseas, please email businessmajors@bryan.edu for more information! Anyone can join.

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