I am thoroughly looking forward to this program!

America is a unique place. The U.S. is a relatively new country that is made up of people from all around the world. It is indeed a melting pot of different ethnicities, heritages, religions, beliefs, etc. While these differences define us as individuals within the United States, there is also an underlying commonality that makes all of those different people American.

Over the past few years I have been fortunate enough to travel around various portions of the world. This has been very enriching, informative, and enlightening and I have had the opportunity to see and experience cultures that are completely different than what I grew up with in America. Additionally, this has given me the opportunity to look at America from a slightly outside perspective to see that there are some general cultural traits that are uniquely America just as there are for other countries/regions around the world.

For example, while we have the freedom to practice whatever religion we so desire as Americans, we also keep a separation between Church and State. This is completely different from some other nations who’s religion is inherent in the government and everyday way of life. In addition to religious differences there are general cultural differences all around the world. Prior to completing all my recent travel I was aware that these cultural differences existed, but I did not understand to what extent these differences played a part in everyday life and business economy.

Concurrently while I have been traveling, I have been working on my Master’s degree in Engineering Management. The courses I have taken, coupled with the travel that I have done, have helped me to realize that these cultural differences don’t just define us as different groups of people around the world, but they also play a large part in the global market. These cultural differences can affect product usage, applicability and product acceptance, marketing strategies, or even to the extent of completely eliminating or creating various markets or market segments. As the world becomes more of a global economy and the internet of things continues to explode, these differences need to be understood by companies and personnel hoping to compete on and serve the global markets of today.

I look forward to further developing my understanding of the global economy and the effects that cultural differences can have. Additionally, I hope to learn how to adapt business plans to not only accommodate cultural differences, but also how to utilize those differences to create new business opportunities or enhance already existing ones. I believe that working in a diverse group from various disciplines and global regions will help to enhance this experience.

See you in the classroom!

-Patrick