• Class: 2016
• Major: Marketing
• College: Kania School of Management
• Hometown: Garden City, New York

A LARGER PERSPECTIVE

Maggie Parks engaged in two very different global experiences while at Scranton. Her first trip was an international service experience in Blanchard, Haiti, outside the city of Port-au-Prince. The following year, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Maggie is currently an Assistant Negotiator at Zenith Media, a worldwide media agency in New York City.

On serving abroad

“In the summer before my junior year, I traveled to Haiti as part of Scranton’s International Service Program (ISP). I was with 12 other students and two adult supervisors. We spent 10 days in Haiti, building houses and reaching out to a special-needs orphanage. It was an eye-opening experience to be immersed in the culture of a developing nation.”

On studying abroad

“In the spring of my junior year, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. While there, I traveled to 12 different countries. Being exposed to so many different cultures throughout Europe—for example, seeing how they do things in the Czech Republic versus Italy or Spain—made me more aware of the world.”

On lessons learned

“Traveling abroad opens your eyes to a larger world. Challenged and stretched in so many ways, I came back with a greater understanding of not just the world, but myself. Traveling abroad, you become more aware, more independent and more confident. My college experience was so fulfilling because of these experiences.”