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Moore Students Host Business Camp in Romania

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Ten of the Moore Schools' finest students recently returned from hosting a global business conference for high school students in Cluj, Romania. This marks the fifth year of the Global Business Immersion Camp, begun by Dr. Carolyn Jones, Assistant Dean of the Undergraduate Division, to engage undergraduate students in service projects abroad. Cluj is one of Columbia’s sister cities through the Columbia World Affairs Council. The Moore students who participated are Kelcey-Marie Allen, Rae Fuller, Lydia Greene, Simone Harvin, Daniel Kim, Dustin Morrow, Brady Riedel, Marino Sanchez, Jordan Terefencko, and Michelle Woodbury. The group was led by Dr. Laura Lambdin, lecturer of management; Joel Stevenson, executive director of the USC Columbia Technology Incubator; and Leigh Stevenson, who was an initial coordinator of the camp.

Moore School students designed and implemented detailed lesson plans on topics including "Global Supply Chain Management and Corporate Social Responsibility," "Business Presentations and Mock Interviews," "Business Etiquette, Work Wardrobes, and Handshaking," "Entrepreneurship and Small Business Plans," and "Advertising and Management." Cultural topics included theater, shag dancing, American pop culture, Tae Kwon Do, and basketball.

The Romanian students spoke perfect English and were extremely attentive, so teaching was a pleasure. "The opportunity to teach students so eager to learn is something that I am sure would make most USC professors envious," said junior Brady Riedel, an international business and global supply chain management major.

The delegation and some of our Romanian friends meeting the mayor of Cluj-Napoca.  (L to R) Jordan Terefencko, (behind her) Marino Sanchez, Michelle Woodbury, Lydia Greene, Brady Riedel, Dr. Laura Lambdin, Rae Fuller, Mayor Emil Boc, Dustin Morrow, Kelcey Marie Allen, Simone Harvin, Daniel Kim.

While the team worked hard and put in long days teaching and training, they also enjoyed interacting with city officials at dinners and receptions. Meeting Cluj Mayor Emil Boc was one of the highlights of the trip for senior accounting major Michelle Woodbury. "Meeting Mayor Boc was an absolute honor that I will never forget. He was such a gentleman, gladly posing for numerous photos, showering us with gifts, and providing a wonderful Romanian buffet just to show respect to our team."

Sophomore management and marketing major Simone Harvin noted that "the hospitality of the Romanian people of Cluj is unlike anything I've ever seen, and Columbia certainly couldn’t ask for a friendlier sister city."

Dr. Lambdin commented on the warm reception offered by the people of Cluj. "We were greeted at the airport by Romanians waving American flags, handing us flowers, and helping to carry our luggage. Often, when we would enter a school, factory, or restaurant, someone would shout 'The Americans are here!' and everyone would run joyously towards us desiring conversation."

She added, "Dr. Jones is truly beloved there and referred to by natives as 'our dear CJ'; she has greatly enriched the lives of many people--including our students--by starting this program. It was an honor for me to lead the team and conference this year in her name."

Students visited Bran Castle ("Dracula's Castle") in Transylvania during their stay in Romania.  (L to R--back row) Dustin Morrow, Jordan Terefencko, Michelle Woodbury, Dr.Laura Lambdin, Brady Riedel, Simone Harvin (middle row) Marino Sanchez, Lydia Greene, Rae Fuller(front row) Daniel Kim, Kelcey Marie Allen, Mihaela (Romanian Liaison)

The service learning project has been life changing for many Moore students. As senior human resources management major Kelcey-Marie Allen said, "I shared some ideas about business there that may have helped some students, but visiting Romania changed my life." Lydia Greene underscored those sentiments: "The Romanian university students, high schoolers, and city hall personnel left a permanent imprint on my life because they are an extremely warm and loving people."

The team successfully transitioned hosting duties for next summer over to a team of Romanian college students from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj. It was the original goal of Dr. Jones that the college students of Cluj would take over hosting duties after five years, and they have already begun arrangements for next summer’s camp.

Gail Crouch
August 2008