What better way to compliment the Brock student experience than by taking it to the most magical place on Earth.
That’s exactly what a group of students did over fall reading week, during the first Brock Abroad trip to Disney World in Orlando, organized by Brock International Services.
“This was the first time that we have led the Florida program, giving students the opportunity to participate in academic, business and cultural activities outside of the classroom,” said Christina Bosilo, Manager, International Learning Programs.
Despite Hurricane Matthew raging through the state just days prior, 13 students and staff travelled safely south for the three-day Youth Series College Edition workshops in Disney World, stopping at the University of Florida in Gainesville for a seminar discussing the impending U.S. Presidential election.
Fourth-year Business Communication student Jennifer Nicholson enjoyed how helpful the workshop sessions will be when she enters the work force.
“Each interactive workshop discussed how Disney operates within organizational culture, teamwork and team building, problem solving and effective communication, all of which are core skills to have,” said Nicholson.
“We took everything that we learned from lectures and applied it to these businesses, which encouraged great discussion. Our group was made up of students from across the world studying different disciplines, impacting the group dynamic, but in a positive way. Just like in the work force, there are going to be communication barriers, and these workshops helped us work through them,” she added.
It wasn’t all work and no play, however, as the students took time to enjoy the attractions in Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
“We even got to meet Dan Cockerell, the Vice-president of Magic Kingdom,” said Nicholson.
As Brock continues to grow the number of experiential learning opportunities, Nicholson advises students to push themselves outside of their comfort zone to make the most of their time at Brock.
“There’s so much more to your education than writing essays. It’s about experiencing life hands-on while learning skills that are applicable to both academics and your career,” she said.
To learn more about the Brock Abroad program, there will be a session during International Week on Nov. 7 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. For more information, visit https://brocku.ca/international-services/International-Week. The next reading week program will take place from Feb. 18-25 in Trinidad and Tobago.
Student Life and Community Experience is also running alternative reading week trips in February to Peru and South Carolina. For more information, visit ExperienceBU.
