South Mountain Community College student Perla Rodriguez represented the college after she was selected to attend the International Summer Program this July in Baja California, Mexico. The two-week program is hosted by Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS) at its Ensenada International Campus and invites students from over 20 countries to experience cultural immersion through its classes, events and industry visits.
Through the program, Perla participated in the university’s class titled “The Art of Strategy: From Vision to Results”, where she had the opportunity to visit local businesses to gain hands-on experiences that would later be implemented into a group project.
Perla, along with her team of three other students, were tasked with creating their own business. After researching components such as funding, accounting reports, target audience and product descriptions, the team created their company, “ABC Literacy”, which focused on literacy tools for educators to teach students of all ages.
“As a business student, this experience taught me team work, data analysis, business strategy, and how to structure a business plan,” said Perla. “It was a delight to work with a team from other places like Mexicali, Tijuana and the Inland Empire in California.”
During her two weeks in the program, Perla was also immersed in Mexican culture through hosted activities that included a paella lunch at a family-owned restaurant and a Mexican festival that featured folklore dancers, mariachi and traditional music.
As Perla reflects on this rewarding trip, she notes how her time at SMCC led her to wanting to extend her learning experiences beyond the classroom and ultimately impacted her decision to study abroad.
“SMCC offers great leadership development programs, some of which I have participated in like Student Public Policy Forum (SPPF), ILSE retreat and Career Services,” said Perla. “All of those programs taught me so much including going after what I want and I wanted to participate in a study abroad program.
