In January, Business Honors students at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics got a first-hand look at the interconnectedness of the 21st century economy through a study tour of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Business Honors seniors have the opportunity to study abroad with travel partially funded through donations and scholarships. The trip is an educational excursion, giving students the chance to see business and everyday life in a distant part of the world. Previous years’ tours have included excursions to Europe and the program will visit Latin America in 2024. This year, the trip was to one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions: Southeast Asia.
Seniors in the Business Honors Program shared these experiences:
Tiffany Cordon ’23 on Visiting Singapore
We started off at LAX and landed at Taipei for a two-hour layover before arriving in Singapore, where we hit the ground running! We had a bumboat ride and took a 30-minute bus ride to the Park Royale Hotel, right across the street from one of the main entertainment and culture hubs in Singapore.
We did a four- or five-hour tour on that first day. Some of the stops were Haji Lane, the only spot in Singapore allowing legal graffiti, and then the Little India and Arab Street areas. The food in Little India was fantastic! And then we went to Chinatown and looked at the Buddhist temple and did some shopping and went to the currency exchange.
The climate is great, it’s warm but with random showers, and everything is very clean. In Singapore, everyone was on their best behavior because the government is very strict. We were in Singapore for four to five days.
The Gardens by the Bay was really nice, with a flower dome and an avatar experience that is only there for a short time.
Like all of our destinations, our visit to Singapore included company visits. We went to Marriott International, and we met with a representative from Singapore’s state-of-the-art public transportation system, thus learning more about the economy of this wealthy and diverse city-state.
We also learned that despite its small size, there are few urban sections in Singapore. We spent a half day at Santosa Island, which was very resort-like, with cable car rides, nature hikes, beaches and lots of good food! And we also visited the southernmost point in continental Asia. At an overlook there, we could even see some of the islands of Indonesia!
Isabel Ochoa ’23 on Visiting Malaysia
I was very grateful for my time in Malaysia. Our free time was illuminating, and our company visits were amazing. We visited the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia, which was interesting to me since I am seeking to work for the federal government. I expanded my knowledge on the breadth of work that goes on outside of U.S. territory.
The conversations we had with representatives helped me know I am on the right path to a career in public service. I currently intern for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, so talking to economists outside my organization helped bring new perspectives to my internship.
Another highlight was getting to know others in the senior cohort of the Business Honors Program. After four years in this program, we assume that we “know” each other, but due to the amount of free time we had in Malaysia, we were truly able to take the time to get to know one another outside of the academic setting. I will say we very much frequented a local shopping mall right behind our hotel. Because we spent so much time walking everywhere, we were able to engage in conversations with one another about our time. Singapore felt like we were constantly going, but Malaysia gave us time to sit back, relax and truly acknowledge the experience we were having.
Chrystina “Tina” Heuerman ’23 on Visiting Vietnam
The Vietnam trip improved my confidence and communication skills. Vietnam had fewer people who spoke English than the other places we visited. Most of our Grab drivers (similar to Uber), servers at restaurants and others didn’t speak English. We had to use Google Translate or body language to communicate effectively. It was really neat to learn how to communicate in different ways.
One of my favorite experiences was meeting this girl at a club. We danced together for a whole two hours before saying a single word to one another. Once we did speak, it was a pretty limited conversation, but we got each other’s Instagrams to stay connected! It was really cool to build a friendship through music and dancing.
In addition, we took a day to go to the rice fields and fishing boats. It was really neat getting to learn how to plant rice and catch fish. Both were super fun to learn, but no easy task. I think it really puts things into perspective, and I am grateful for the things I have here. It would be really hard for me to sit in the sun planting rice all day, and I have a lot of respect for all the hardworking people who do have these jobs.
Tiffany Cordon ’23 On A Truly Immersive Experience – At No Cost!
We got a good mix between cultural, educational and independent time. I genuinely engaged with each of the cultures, how they live and eat, and their customs. I wouldn’t have visited these countries alone, so it was nice to visit with a group and have that experience. Each of these countries is someone’s home, and it is great to know what it is like to live there.
I got the Gilman Scholarship in addition to the financial support of Business Honors, so my trip was free. I even had some spending money left over!
My advice for Business Titans planning to study abroad is before you go, make a list of what is on your itinerary and what you want to do additionally. We saw the activities that were already planned for us and added everything we wanted to see on independent time. Studying abroad is such a good career experience, and you get to network, so there are many opportunities to get the funding needed to have an affordable trip.
Don’t just stick to the things you know when you visit. Be more adventurous. Even if you’re using Google Translate, engage with conversations with the locals when getting food!
For More on Business Honors
Study tours, such as January’s Southeast Asian excursion, give our honors students a truly world-class educational experience during their undergraduate years. In past years, study abroad trips have included Western Europe and Latin America. Wherever our Business Honors students go, they enjoy immersion into local cultures and firsthand knowledge of our global business world.
Global experiences are just one aspect of the versatile, cohort-based Business Honors program. Program highlights also include priority registration for key courses, networking and professional development opportunities, service learning, and access to the best teaching and research faculty.
For more on this program, including eligibility as a student or ways to get involved as an alumnus or donor, visit the Business Honors. Or read more of our articles about CSUF Business Honors.
