During the Summer of 2024, I took the opportunity to take part in the Fisher Global Consulting Program, and spent nearly a month in Singapore on a consulting project. I worked for Pasture Group, a local pharmaceuticals and medical supplies company. During this time, I worked on a few projects with a team of four other individuals, which allowed me to gain some experience as an intern. The projects included detailing a guide on the different products the company sells, developing a database for the company to establish partnerships with nonprofits and health ministries of other nations, as well as going into the warehouse and providing solutions for processing orders. I also developed a deeper understanding of the industry and how it works, as well as knowledge about the consulting field.
One of the major things I learned about myself is that I thrive a lot more when I am with people that come from different walks of life. Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures and languages. Being around people that are different means being able to appreciate and understand different perspectives, especially in such an environment. I also developed an appreciation for people working in the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies industry. During my time as an intern, I learned of different regulations and policies that products have to go through before being approved and sold in other countries. Prior to that, I did not realize the work and effort it takes for that to happen. One of the values that the Pasture Group had was to put people and community first. This is something that aligned with me personally, and I felt like I was doing just that during my time there.
There were a lot of things that happened during this time that resulted in my transformation. As mentioned before, Singapore is a very diverse country, with people coming from different backgrounds. Even at work, there were a lot of people who were from other countries other than Singapore. Apart from that, I also was with fellow students from Ohio State with whom I got to share this experience. Apart from working at our respective companies, we also spent time with each other and explored the city. One of the most special moments that I still think about was doing a river cruise and looking at the city skyline.
One of the projects I really enjoyed doing was building a database for the company. As an Information Systems major, this project really aligned with my interests and what I want to do. It allowed me to apply technology to business in order to make things more efficient. The project itself allowed me to apply and improve my technical skills while also narrowing down specific fields I would like to pursue post-graduation.
Another event that will stay with me during this time was doing a weekend trip with my group to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since we did not work on the weekends, we had the idea of traveling to another country in Southeast Asia. This was another opportunity for me to learn about and appreciate another country, its people and culture. Being in the city reminded me a lot of my own childhood, visiting family overseas. We also did a tour of the Mekong River and its surrounding areas. Getting to learn about the land and the people made me develop a greater appreciation for the things I have in my life, and realize that some people are not as fortunate.
The opportunity to intern in a different country, and the other activities and events that came with it had a profound impact on me. For one, I gained internship experience, which I had been nervous about before. I was not sure what would come out of it or what I wanted to do afterwards. However, it actually allowed me to narrow down my interests and in which direction I wanted to go in post-graduation. I also really enjoy traveling and getting to visit other countries and learning about them, which I was able to do. Not only was I exposed to different cultures, values and perspectives, but I also learned that I would love to work and live abroad one day. It would allow me to continue learning outside the classroom and understand the world around me. Though that time flew by fast, it is also a major highlight of my time as undergraduate student at The Ohio State University.
