By Mary Pat Abruzzo, Senior studying Communications Studies
After we completed our presentation to Socialway eServices, our client Orestis Micheal took our SIBC team and his team of four out to a traditional Cypriot lunch. I was excited for the opportunity to not only enjoy a different cuisine but to learn more from the perspective of the people whose culture and country was vastly different from my own. I sat across from two women who were in charge of social media for Socialway, both recently graduated and just starting their careers. I was able to relate to them in many ways as I am a senior at USD and recently held a social media intern position over this past summer.
We spent most of the meal comparing the similarities and differences between Cyprus and the US. “Did you bring school to lunch? Does your mom cook you dinner? What do you do for fun?” Most of these answers were the same.
We were also able to relate in terms of taste in food. “Try this one, it is the best!”, Marakii pushed an appetizer toward me that I had never seen. “It’s a pastry filled with feta, and covered in honey. My favorite because I have a sweet tooth.”
“Me too!”, I said. We both laughed as I took two helpings of the dish.
They explained how many students will live with their parents all through college and even for a time after. They were very surprised when I explained how I had gone to college in a different state, originally being from New Mexico and moving to study at University of San Diego. Similarly, Georgia wanted to leave her hometown of Nicosia to explore new educational opportunities. She expressed her dreams of traveling to California one day and working for a big company like Google. She was inspired by Google’s mission to hire diverse and global employees.
After sharing this meal, I was both humbled and inspired by our conversations. It gave me insight into a perspective of a woman just like me only across the world, allowing me to realize the privilege of having regional access to big companies and appreciating the importance of sharing stories with people who may seem widely different but yet have very similar dreams.
Socialway eServices: https://socialwayeservices.com/