Since joining SIBC in 2020, I have been a member of the Naturway team. And finally, after COVID and two years, I was able to travel with three other students to Lisbon, Portugal! Lisbon is a beautiful city that carries with it great history -- from the origin of early exploration to the Americas to the brightly colored buildings lining the cobblestone streets, the culture of Lisbon is unique and amazes all who visit it. As part of our consulting project, we met with several Portuguese business professionals and took a company tour of Energias de Portugal (EDP), a Portuguese based electric company. We also met with our clients, the Naturway team, for lunch and took their notorious tuk tuk challenge around the city. We stopped at many famous sites and took in the panoramic views along the way. This being my first international travel experience made it all the more exciting. Being welcomed by locals and hearing their stories, made me truly feel at home in a place so different from anything I had ever seen or witnessed before. Walking around the city, visiting different neighborhoods and churches, listening to fado (a type of popular Portuguese song), eating Portuguese food, and exploring the Lisbon nightlife, all left memories that I will cherish forever. One day of our trip included a train ride to Sintra. In Sintra, we saw some of the most spectacular castles and gardens. We walked over 12 miles and went up 100 floors that day, so you could say we walked a lot. Our last day in Portugal was spent in Cascais, relaxing on the beach, reflecting and appreciating all that we had the opportunity to see and partake in the last few days. As the trip came to a close, I said my goodbyes to the city I had begun to love. Returning home definitely had me wanting to go on another international trip in the near future -- just ask my parents about the amount of times I said "at this time last week we were ...". Lisbon will be hard to beat, but I am looking forward to the day I get to travel abroad again. Thank you SIBC for not only providing me with valuable professional work skills, but also the ability to explore and experience a culture so new and different from my own. As the Portuguese say, obrigada!
- AnneMarie Rodgers
After 3 semesters of working with Naturway, our team finally had the opportunity to travel to Portugal and meet with the Naturway representatives. Our project alone, which centered around market research and customer segmentation during the COVID-19 pandemic, was an amazing opportunity and allowed me to put what I was learning from my classes into the context of real business scenarios. My experience was truly enriched by the eventual opportunity to visit Lisbon, the place we had been studying for so long. As someone who hasn’t had the chance to travel internationally very much, this opportunity was especially empowering. Getting to experience new cultures, different foods, learn about international business, and interact with the Naturway team made for a trip I will never forget. I also really enjoyed meeting with representatives from EDP, Portugal’s leading electric energy provider, as well as international USD alumni for career advice and insights. In the span of a week, I feel like I was able to learn so much and grow my communication and critical thinking skills. It was the highlight of my summer!
- Gianna Sbarbaro
I really enjoyed working on the Naturway project and traveling to Lisbon to meet the team! Over the course of the semester, we compiled potential sales leads for the company to market to in order to expand their presence as a travel activity company. When we traveled to Lisbon, we were able to meet the owners of the company that the SIBC team had worked with for a few years. They even let us take part in their signature "Tuk Tuk Challenge" scavenger hunt around the city! Zooming around Lisbon in the back of a tuk tuk, and trying to beat our opposing team in the race, was definitely the highlight of my trip. While participating in Naturway's activity, we were able to see first-hand what one of their customers would experience. We immediately thought of new marketing ideas for them to target more customers, and hopefully we can share more with the company in the future. As well, the city of Lisbon could not have been more amazing. The scenery was beautiful; the food was amazing; and the people were always kind and welcoming! I cannot wait to go back one day. Joining SIBC was one of the best decisions I have made at USD! I have gained invaluable real-world consulting experience, in addition to forming bonds with so many amazing people. There is no other place where an aspiring business student can have the opportunity to work with an international company and travel around the world to meet them. That is what makes this club so unique!
- Steffek Rainey
Through the project my team completed for Naturway, I was able to travel to Portugal for a week. My team met with the employees of Naturway, as well as with several other companies. I toured EDP, visited Pena Palace in Sintra, saw churches and castles, tasted delicious local food, rode tuk tuks, and became close friends with the students in my travel group. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to travel to Portugal with this group! I encourage anyone who is at all interested in business to join SIBC and strive for this experience.
- Brianna Floyd
