B.A. Hospitality Management students Madilyn Maske and Gabriela Kramer were recently selected to work behind the scenes at the World Business Forum in New York City. Since Kendall College is part of the Laureate International Universities network, students have access to an academic community that spans 25 countries as well as a variety of opportunities through the education network, including the World Business Forum.

The pair was selected after applying for the opportunity at the request of Sue Tinnish, the dean of the Hospitality Management program, who felt this was a great way for the students to get hands-on experience at a large-scale event. The convention, which includes more than 4,000 senior executives from more than 50 countries, featured speakers from around the world and from a variety of professional fields.

Maske and Kramer were well prepared when they arrived at the World Business Forum in New York—the students coordinated with the Laureate Live broadcast managers, prepared interviewees and guided them to interview locations to ensure a smooth broadcast. “Working this event helped me see the bigger picture of an event of that size,” Kramer says.

During their free time, Maske and Kramer listened to speakers from around the world. The two speakers that stood out to the two were Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize awardee and an activist for female education, as well as Eric Wall, an American graffiti artist and entrepreneur. “The biggest thing I learned was that it doesn’t matter which industry you come from, you can still relate,” Maske says of the opportunity to attend the speakers’ presentations.

Both students left with new friends and new experiences. Speaking on her experience overall, Kramer shares, “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”