Blog Post #2 – Filbert Presley

Traveling to Panama for this Regents’ Ambassador Program faculty-led trip was truly an unforgettable experience that expanded my horizons and allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. As mentioned in the previous blog post, my main goal was to immerse myself in the culture of Panama and this trip helped me do that and much, much more. The culture of Panama could be felt in every event that we did and additionally, it helped me gain practical insights into my field of study of finance. Not only did I grow professionally, but my relationships with the other regents’ in my cohort have never been stronger. Coming into the trip, I truly only grew close to 1 person throughout the entire year. However, through this trip, I was able to have a meaningful conversation with all 28 other Regents which has made me so excited for the upcoming RAP year! Regarding my professional growth, the specific experience with Panama Pacifico was very insightful. This company is set with the project of creating commercial, industrial, and personal establishments across Panama to help the country be a more attractive place to live, thus giving a boost to the economy and society. They are in year 15 of their 40-year plan and to hear about their progress and the challenges faced regarding the single-family homes in the current times was very interesting. Lastly, I was able to put the concepts of international business I learned in Dr. Hutchins’s class to good use as the importance of having a global mindset in the business world is crucial to one’s success. This was prevalent in the Estee Lauder meeting as we were able to meet a Florida State graduate who shared his experiences transitioning from working in the United States to Panama. He emphasized how important it was to keep a broad global mindset and to steer away from any biases to ensure that professionalism is met. Overall, I am so glad I was given the opportunity to go on this trip and will forever have life-long memories!